Erdogan gifts revolvers to NATO leaders at Ankara summit

During the 2026 NATO summit in Ankara, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presented each NATO head of state or government with a vintage Gumusay 357 Magnum revolver, six live rounds and a personalized engraving. The guns were delivered in wooden boxes bearing the Turkish flag and the NATO logo, together with documents exempting them from export controls.

Erdogan said the gesture was intended to showcase Turkey’s rapidly growing defence industry – now the world’s third‑largest exporter of small arms – and to underline the country’s strategic importance within the alliance. Reactions varied: some leaders stored the weapons in embassies, others returned them to the Turkish embassy or plan to donate them to museums; a few faced legal hurdles over national weapons‑law restrictions.

The gift sparked debate over the symbolism of handing a lethal weapon as a diplomatic souvenir and highlighted Turkey’s drive for greater arms‑export autonomy, while prompting discussion among officials, analysts and even a cardinal’s open letter condemning the practice.