San Francisco Frontiers - How NATO leaders reacted to Erdogan's revolver gift

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was the first Wednesday to mention the highly unusual gift presented by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to his guests.

On the flight back from Ankara -- where NATO leaders had gathered for two days -- Starmer said he and others received a revolver engraved with their name.

Alongside the gun sitting in a red box lined in black were six live rounds and a note exempting the weapons from export controls.

It was a surprising gift to say the least, several officials from the different alliance member states said, and gave rise to some "insane" scenes among the various delegations' security teams.

- Headache -

Some leaders discovered their gift much later.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever only "learned of the exact nature of the gift" after landing in Belgium.

"The prime minister was surprised and immediately handed it over to airport police so it could be placed in a secure safe and the matter was handled in accordance with relevant procedures," an official told AFP on Thursday.

De Wever's security team also handled the revolvers given to EU chiefs based in Brussels, Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, with all the security and protocol-related headaches such an effort brings.

Von der Leyen "expressed her thanks" to Erdogan for the gift, her spokesman said, adding it would be decommissioned and donated to a military museum.

The revolver presented to Polish President Karol Nawrocki also arrived safely, but with the necessary precautions and a previous incident still fresh in everyone's minds.

In December 2022, Poland's police chief brought back an anti-tank grenade launcher from Ukraine that he had received as a gift.

The device exploded in his office, slightly injuring him and causing extensive damage to the police headquarters in Warsaw.

This time, "it is certain that no one is going to fire it," an aide to Nawrocki told a local radio station.

- Why such a gift? -

Several revolvers, including those belonging to Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, have for now remained in the Turkish capital.

And for good reason: depending on the laws in force, transporting firearms is often far from straightforward, especially when they are fully functional.

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney took his revolver with him but left the ammunition in Turkey, Canadian officials said. They did not explain why.

The weapon given to Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson "will have to be transported to Sweden in accordance with all applicable procedures", his team told AFP in a statement.

Beyond the logistical challenge, the gift also puzzled several delegations attending the summit, which focused on Ukraine, Iran, and relations with US President Donald Trump.

The question asked over and over again: why such a gift?

While it is very common for heads of state to exchange various gifts during meetings or summits, such exchanges rarely require these kinds of precautions.

Contacted by AFP, the Turkish presidency did not immediately respond.

M.Powell--SFF