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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had a rather unusual parting gift for NATO leaders following the alliance’s 2026 summit this week – a vintage revolver.
NATO leaders each received an engraved Magnum .357 revolver and live ammunition after the meeting in Ankara, which took place from 7 to 8 July and saw allies reaffirm their commitment to Article 5.
The elaborate gift was personalised for each recipient, engraved with their own names and the Turkish flag, and came with a waiver for export controls.
Set in a wooden display box, it also featured a sign reading: “Gümüşay, the first revolver-type handgun produced in our country”.
Here’s what the leaders plan on doing with the gift.
Germany
According to the German Press Agency (DPA), Chancellor Friedrich Merz gave the revolver to the German Embassy in Ankara, which will organise its transfer to Berlin.
Once there, it is set to be added to the government’s collection of state gifts.
A government spokesperson told the DPA: “The revolver was handed over to the embassy so that it can be properly imported and then added to the inventory of official gifts.”
In Germany, there are legal restrictions on government officials and members of parliament accepting gifts relating to their position.
Current or former members of the government must declare such gifts to the government, which then decides how they are to be used. Members of parliament must declare gifts received in the course of their duties to the Speaker of Parliament and hand them over if the material value exceeds €200. They may apply to keep the gift in return for paying its equivalent value to the Federal Treasury.
Spain
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the gun had been transferred to the Interior Ministry.
It is set to be deactivated by the Guardia Civil’s Weapons Intervention Service.
Portugal
Luís Montenegro, Portugal’s prime minister, has reportedly given the firearm to police, who will carry out a forensic analysis of the weapon.
A source from Montenegro’s office told Público that it had handed the gun to its security team who transported it to Portugal.
The revolver is currently with the police’s Weapons and Explosives Department, “where the necessary forensic analysis will be carried out to determine the applicable legal provisions,” the source said.
Poland
Marcin Przydacz, Poland’s Secretary of State, said the revolver would be placed in an “appropriate” storage facility in order to keep it safe and to “treat it with respect”.
He said that the revolver had been cleared through customs and had passed all the required checks.
“It is true that the President of Turkey presented each of his guests with a gift of this kind. I do not know exactly whether it is a replica or an original. Certainly, no one will be firing it,” he added.
Belgium
Belgium’s prime minister is said to have been surprised to discover the “exact nature” of the gift only after arriving back in Belgium.
Bart De Wever reportedly handed the weapon over to airport police upon arrival.
De Wever’s security team is also reported to have dealt with the revolvers given to European Union bosses Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa.
In a post on X, von der Leyen thanked Erdoğan for his “warm welcome” and touted the EU and Turkey’s strategic partnership.
“In a more challenging world, our partnership matters more than ever,” she wrote.
Italy
According to Italian government sources, the revolver was taken into custody and registered at the Chigi Palace, as with all prime ministerial gifts.
Greece
Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has decided to donate the revolver to the Athens War Museum.
UK
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reportedly left the firearm in Turkey with British officials, where it is expected to be deactivated before being taken to the UK.
Canada
Canadian PM Mark Carney joked that his country’s gift of maple syrup “undermatched” the vintage weapon, which he said was being decommissioned.
“This is something for the war museum,” he added. “It’s interesting and it relates to NATO”.
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