Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has marked the 36th NATO summit in Ankara by presenting each attending leader with a personalised revolver engraved with their name, along with a box of live ammunition.
The gesture was accompanied by a letter from the Turkish side waiving export restrictions on the weapons. Turkish media reported that the package also included a box of ammunition, a cleaning kit and a signed copy of a biography of the president, The Politics of Courage: Erdoğan and the Rise of Türkiye, published by a foundation bearing his name.
The firearms, produced by Turkish manufacturer Sarsılmaz, were distributed as a closing gift following the two-day meeting, held on July 7-8 at the Presidential Complex in Ankara. The model is the Sarsılmaz SR 38, a six-shot revolver chambered for .38 Special and .357 Magnum ammunition, according to the manufacturer.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the choice as “surprising” while speaking to journalists on his flight home. He confirmed he had left the weapon in Turkey, citing UK firearms law, which makes importing a handgun illegal, despite the waiver letter.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney handed his gift to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for decommissioning, with the accompanying ammunition left behind in Turkey. A senior Canadian government source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said officials would find an “appropriate placement” for it, including possibly a Canadian museum.
“All official gifts are handled in accordance with applicable Canadian laws, security requirements, and government policies,” Global Affairs Canada said in a statement to reporters travelling with Carney.
The police will decommission the revolver, so it will not be able to fire live ammunition. Canada’s Conflict of Interest Act bars office holders from keeping gifts worth more than C$1,000 (€620).
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten accepted the gift but did not take it home. The revolver was left at the Dutch embassy in Ankara, where it is to be rendered inoperable by a professional and then stored, the Dutch government information service, the Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst, has said.
Reports also emerged that the Belgian delegation led by Prime Minister Bart De Wever was initially unaware of the precise nature of the wrapped item they had received, and only realised it after landing at Melsbroek military airport near Brussels.
They decided to send the gun to the airport police, who kept it in a safe. What happens to it next has yet to be decided.
Guns are not standard diplomatic souvenirs. At the 2016 Warsaw summit, leaders were given Polish honey vodka, chocolates and custom postage stamps; at Newport in 2014, the United Kingdom handed out wool socks, Welsh whisky and waffles.
The summit itself focused on alliance matters including defence spending, support for Ukraine, and regional security. The final communiqué reaffirmed the Article 5 collective defence commitment and pledged €70 billion in military equipment, aid and training for Ukraine in 2026.
Credit where credit is due, this is top tier trolling from Erdogan to offer VDL and Costa loaded guns, given that VDL and the previous Council President, Charles Michel, HATED each other.
And one of the highlight of this hatred, SofaGate, took place in Turkey. https://t.co/YyP9cV6X6P
— Mepassistant (Quentin) (@mepassistants) July 9, 2026
