Revolver as a Guest Gift: Erdoğan Causes Unusual Reactions at NATO Summit

The gift immediately caused diplomatic and legal complications. Each of them received a revolver engraved with their name, several rounds of ammunition, and an export license from Erdoğan personally. Belgian head of government Bart De Wever only discovered what was hidden inside the red gift box after landing in Belgium. A photo taken by his team shows the silver revolver with a brown grip in the box lined with black fabric - inside a paper bag.

Belgian security forces also collected the revolvers belonging to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President António Costa under strict security measures. The Prime Minister was surprised and promptly handed it over to the airport police so that it could be stored in a secure safe and the further procedure could be handled according to regulations.

In other capitals, the return did not go smoothly either. In other delegations, the gift caused "crazy" scenes, according to diplomats. Canadian head of government Mark Carney accepted the revolver but left the ammunition in Turkey. Hungarian head of government Péter Magyar published a picture of the "unusual" gift on the online service X. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, meanwhile, presented his revolver to the media in his home country.

Legal Hurdles in Several Capitals

In the United Kingdom, importing it was simply not possible. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer explained that importing a revolver into Great Britain is illegal - even for a prime minister and despite a special permit from Erdoğan. In Poland, too, the gift intended for President Karol Nawrocki has already arrived. This time it is "certain that no one will fire it," an aide to the president told a Polish radio station.

According to a government spokesperson, Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) left his gift with the German Embassy in Ankara, which is to organize transport to Berlin. The revolver is to be added to the collection of state gifts in Berlin. The weapon belonging to Swedish head of government Ulf Kristersson is to be transported to Sweden later in accordance with regulations.

Freelance journalist Thomas Seibert gave a sober assessment to SRF. Starmer and Merz left the pistols in Ankara, citing import regulations. So that means it wasn't really a resounding success so far. The office of the Turkish president initially did not respond to a request from the news agency AFP regarding the significance of the gifts.

Symbolism and Economic Background

According to observers, the unusual guest gift carries an economic policy message. It is assumed that the high-quality revolver is primarily intended to symbolize the strength of the Turkish weapons and defense industry. Even in the Ottoman Empire, elaborately crafted weapons such as sabers, daggers, or rifles were considered prestige objects that were often presented as gifts to guests or allies.

Twenty years ago, Turkey had just 17 weapons manufacturers; today there are 4,000 companies in the defense sector. Exports are now at eleven billion dollars per year. This puts Turkey in eleventh place worldwide in arms exports. The government is also investing a great deal of money in research and development. That means it wants to expand this industry further in the future.

Erdoğan's Pitch for Defense Projects

At the summit and the accompanying weapons exhibition, Erdoğan simultaneously made a political pitch for participation in European defense projects. It was about demands to the USA to lift arms sanctions against Turkey, which are still in effect, and demands on Europeans to involve Turkey in the defense program ‹Safe›, which involves 150 billion euros.

Other revenue sources such as tourism, worth 60 billion dollars annually, also play a role for the Turkish economy. Turkey is currently developing a next-generation fighter jet and is dependent on American engines.

For the EU Commission President, the matter has now largely been resolved. Von der Leyen thanked Erdoğan for the gift, a spokesperson said in Brussels. As soon as the weapon has been disabled, she wants to donate the revolver to a military museum. A spokesperson for the EU Commission stated that the revolver had been secured and would be handed over to a military museum.