09.07.2026 14:50
The fate of the custom-made revolvers with name engravings gifted by President Erdoğan to leaders at the NATO Summit has begun to emerge. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever handed the firearm over to airport police, while Poland is keeping the revolver in customs. The Netherlands and Sweden are preserving the gifts in their embassies in Ankara; Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is keeping the revolver at the Prime Ministry, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen plans to donate it to a military museum.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's custom-made revolvers with names engraved, presented to leaders after the 36th NATO Summit held in Ankara, continue to be a topic of discussion in Europe.
It has emerged how the revolvers, which were given to leaders with the aim of promoting the Turkish defense industry and reportedly containing live ammunition, are being stored in different countries.
HANDED OVER TO POLICE IN BELGIUM
According to a Reuters report; it was stated that Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever opened the gift only after returning to his country and, upon seeing the revolver and ammunition, handed the weapon to Brussels Airport police. It was reported that the revolver was placed in a safe for security reasons.
WAITING AT CUSTOMS IN POLAND
An advisor to Polish President Karol Nawrocki announced that the revolver is awaiting customs procedures at Warsaw Airport.
The advisor stated that the weapon would be securely stored, adding, "Of course, no one will fire it."
LEFT AT EMBASSIES BY NETHERLANDS AND SWEDEN
The prime ministers' offices of the Netherlands and Sweden also announced that the revolvers were left at their respective embassies in Ankara.
It was reported that the Netherlands plans to disable the gift before taking it into the country, while Sweden is awaiting the completion of import procedures.
500 BULLETS DETAIL IN THE UK
It was alleged that the revolver given to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer came with a cleaning kit and 500 bullets.
British media previously reported that Starmer was unable to bring the revolver into the UK due to legal regulations.
MELONI TO GOVERNMENT BUILDING, VON DER LEYEN TO MUSEUM
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's revolver is being kept at Palazzo Chigi, the Prime Minister's Palace in Rome, alongside other state gifts.
It was stated that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen plans to donate the revolver given to her to a military museum.
A SHOWCASE OF TURKISH DEFENSE INDUSTRY
It was reported that the revolver gifted to the leaders is the Gumusay .357 Magnum model, produced by the Machinery and Chemical Industry (MKE) in the 1990s. It was noted that the revolver, presented in a wooden case, features Turkish and NATO logos along with the phrase "First revolver type pistol produced in our country" in both Turkish and English.