It turns out that leaving a NATO summit with a souvenir can be a lot more complicated than expected.
After a recent gathering in Ankara, Turkey, leaders found themselves grappling with the logistical and security challenges of transporting a handgun back to their home countries. The situation became the primary topic of conversation as delegates navigated the complex rules of international travel and weapon possession.
Per CNN, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presented each visiting leader with a vintage revolver, complete with live ammunition. The choice of gift was intended to highlight the growing influence and capability of Turkey’s defense industry. It was certainly a bold move to showcase national manufacturing. However, the reality of gifting functional weaponry to heads of state created an immediate administrative headache for security teams around the world.
The Guardian noted that the revolvers were presented in wooden display boxes, featuring the Turkish flag and the NATO logo. Each piece was engraved with the recipient’s name, making them personalized, albeit highly unconventional, tokens of the summit. The weaponry provided was identified as the Gumusay .357 Magnum, a rare six-shooter produced by the Turkish arms maker MKE during the 1990s.
The logistical fallout was immediate
CNN reported that Belgium’s prime minister, Bart De Wever, was more than a little surprised on landing back home from Wednesday’s NATO summit to find that he had a handgun and ammunition in his luggage. His office stated that he only “learned of the exact nature of the gift” after his return. He immediately handed it over to airport police so it could be placed in a secure safe and the matter was handled in accordance with relevant procedures.
Other leaders faced similar hurdles. An aide to Polish President Karol Nawrocki reportedly told Radio RMF FM that his revolver was awaiting customs clearance at Warsaw Airport and would be kept in an appropriate place “so that it is firstly safe and secondly respected as a gift”.
The aide noted, “Certainly no one will be shooting it,” a sentiment echoed by many others involved in the process. This caution is perhaps understandable. In December 2022, Poland’s police chief returned from Ukraine with a gift, an anti-tank grenade launcher. The Guardian noted that this gift then exploded in his office. It caused extensive damage to the Warsaw police headquarters, although the police chief escaped with minor injuries.
CNN reported that the handling of these weapons varied by nation. The offices of the Dutch and Swedish prime ministers confirmed their revolvers were taken to their respective embassies in Ankara, with plans to disable or import them according to strict legal procedures.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reportedly had her gift stored at the Palazzo Chigi. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen intends to donate hers to a military museum. The Guardian reported that Von der Leyen “expressed her thanks” to Erdoğan for the gift. Her spokesperson said, adding that it would be decommissioned and donated to a military museum.
Per the outlet, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer received his revolver along with a cleaning kit and 500 bullets. Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney joked about the disparity between his own gift and the host’s offering.
As CNN noted, Carney said, “It struck me that my gift of maple syrup kind of undermatched” the Turkish present. He also clarified his stance on the weapon, telling a press conference, “I would like to reassure Canadians – they keep guns away from me.” He noted that the revolver had been deactivated.
The Hungarian prime minister, Péter Magyar, took to X to share his experience. He wrote, “An unusual gift from President Erdoğan at the Nato summit: a Magnum revolver with ammunition, engraved with my name.” Reactions from various delegations showed a mix of confusion and strategic positioning. Some officials described the resulting security activity as “insane.” All because of the strict protocols regarding the transport of functional firearms across international borders.
According to CNN, Turkey has been working hard to push its defense sector into the spotlight. According to the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey, Turkey was the world’s third-largest exporter of small arms between 2019 and 2024. Their exports totaled about $3 billion. The modern industry focuses on semi-automatics. The Gumusay, however, remains a collector’s curiosity that represents a specific era of Turkish manufacturing.
Whether or not the gift effectively promoted the industry, it certainly ensured that the summit would be remembered for its unique, if somewhat hazardous, parting gesture. The summit was also marked by strong comments from President Donald Trump. He reportedly called Spain ‘a wasted cause’ and says he wants all trade, all visits, everything with them gone. Additionally, he misspoke and said that ‘the Islamic Republic of Japan’ shot 111 missiles.
Published: Jul 13, 2026 05:16 am