NATO leaders in trouble over Erdogan's pistol gift

At the closing of the NATO summit held in Ankara, Erdogan gave each of the participating leaders an old-style revolver and fresh bullets. It is known that this initiative was taken to highlight Turkey's defense industry capabilities.

In a photo published by the office of Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, a .357 Magnum revolver is seen placed in a wooden box bearing the Turkish flag and the NATO logo. The information plaque describes it as the first revolver-type handgun produced in Turkey.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's office said all leaders were given the same type of revolver, and each was engraved with the respective leader's name.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, upon returning home, found the revolver and bullets in his luggage and handed them over to Brussels airport police for safe storage.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki's revolver is still awaiting customs clearance at Warsaw airport. Meanwhile, the offices of the Prime Ministers of the Netherlands and Sweden said their gifts were kept at their respective embassies in Ankara. The Netherlands will deactivate it, while Sweden is awaiting the completion of the necessary import procedures.

According to Reuters, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's gift also included a cleaning kit and 500 rounds of ammunition. However, other reports said he could not bring the revolver to the UK and left it in Ankara to be deactivated.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's revolver has already been stored as a state gift in a government building. Meanwhile, Ursula von der Leyen plans to donate hers to a military museum. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is also considering a similar initiative.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney joked that his gift of maple syrup was much lighter than Turkey's gift. He said he had not seen the pistol himself and plans to have it deactivated and stored at the National War Museum.

According to analysts, while this gift is a strategy to promote Turkey's defense industry, it has become an unexpected administrative hassle for many leaders due to various countries' arms laws, customs regulations, and diplomatic protocols.