Overview
- At the NATO summit in Ankara this week President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presented visiting heads of state and government with personalised, functional revolvers that included ammunition and export paperwork.
- Recipients reacted differently: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz handed his revolver to the German embassy in Ankara for transport to Berlin, Belgium’s prime minister gave his to airport police, the British prime minister left his in Turkey, and some leaders kept weapons but left the ammunition behind.
- The presence of live guns and rounds prompted immediate security and legal steps because transporting or importing loaded firearms on government flights can break national laws and airline rules.
- Officials say the weapons will be rendered permanently inoperable under EU and national procedures, such as the EU deactivation rules, and many items will be inventoried for state gift collections or donated to museums after deactivation.
- Commentators view the gesture as a deliberate symbolic test of relationships and a showcase for Turkey’s defence industry, while the Turkish presidency has not publicly explained the intent and delegations continue to manage diplomatic fallout.