Erdogan Gifts Personalized Pistols to NATO Leaders, Most Decline to Take Them

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, host of this week's NATO summit in Ankara, presented each NATO leader with a Turkish-made pistol engraved with their name, accompanied by ammunition and a cleaning kit. This unusual gift was part of Erdogan's effort to promote Turkey's defense industry amid a broader NATO arms procurement initiative. The summit also featured, for the first time, a military exhibition showcasing Turkish weapons manufacturers as part of the official agenda.

Although the pistols came with official export permits allowing leaders to leave Turkey with them, several recipients chose not to take the weapons due to their countries' import laws. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer revealed he left his pistol at the British embassy in Ankara to avoid violating British firearms import regulations. Similarly, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's office confirmed he also left his personalized pistol in Turkey, with plans to formally import it later for official gift collections.

The gift caused further complications in Belgium, where Prime Minister Alexander De Croo's delegation discovered the pistol included live ammunition upon arrival in Brussels, prompting immediate police confiscation. Besides the 31 NATO leaders, other senior officials such as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel received the pistols. Michel's security team took the weapon for inspection, with plans to comply with EU safety and import laws.

European media noted the pistols' value likely exceeds the usual limits for official diplomatic gifts. The incident highlights the challenges of cross-border firearm regulations even among allied nations. The story was first reported by Globes and has drawn attention to the complexities of gifting weapons in international diplomacy.