Erdogan Gifts NATO Leaders Revolvers with Live Ammunition

Ankara. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has given a farewell gift of an old-style revolver and its live ammunition to the leaders of all member states who participated in the NATO summit held in Ankara. According to Reuters, Erdogan presented each leader with a special revolver engraved with their name, with the aim of showcasing the capabilities of Turkey's defense industry.

Photographs released by the office of Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda show a rare 'Gumuşay .357 Magnum' revolver produced in the 1990s by the Turkish arms manufacturer MKE. Along with the revolver, kept in a special wooden box, was a plaque with the Turkish national flag, NATO logo, and the inscription 'The first revolver-type pistol produced in our country'.

According to the spokesperson for Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, all leaders received a revolver of the same model engraved with their own name. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever was surprised to find a revolver with live ammunition in his bag after returning home. He has handed over the weapon to Brussels airport police for safekeeping.

According to an aide to Polish President Karol Nawrocki, his revolver is awaiting customs clearance at Warsaw airport. It will then be kept in a secure location as a state gift. He clarified that no one will fire it. The offices of the Prime Ministers of the Netherlands and Sweden have also stated that the respective revolvers are kept at their embassies in Ankara. The Netherlands is preparing to deactivate its revolver to make it unusable, while Sweden is completing the import paperwork.

A source from Downing Street said that the revolver received by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was accompanied by cleaning materials and 500 rounds of ammunition. The revolver received by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has been secured along with other state gifts at Palazzo Chigi, the Prime Minister's office in Rome. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen plans to donate her revolver to a military museum. Similarly, the Greek leader is also preparing to hand over the gift to the War Museum in Athens.