Erdogan gifted NATO leaders revolvers at summit

At a recent NATO summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presented each attending leader with a personalized revolver, each engraved with the recipient's name, along with a box of ammunition. This distinctive gift has led to logistical and legal considerations for several leaders upon their return home.

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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz handed his revolver over to the German embassy in Ankara, so it could be imported into Germany correctly and entered into the official gift register, says a spokesperson for the German government on Wednesday evening.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz opted to transfer his gifted revolver to the German embassy in Ankara. This measure was taken to ensure the weapon could be imported into Germany through the correct channels and officially registered. A spokesperson for the German government confirmed this action on Wednesday evening.

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Erdogan had given all the leaders at the summit a similar gift, and each one had the recipient's name engraved.

Similarly, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer shared details about the unique present. Speaking to journalists on the flight back from the Turkish capital, Starmer revealed that Erdogan had extended the same gift to all leaders present. He noted that each revolver bore the recipient's name. Despite Erdogan including a waiver for export controls, Starmer decided against bringing his revolver back to the UK. He left it with British officials in Turkey to be deactivated, as taking it home would violate the country's stringent firearms legislation, according to The Guardian.

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Even though Erdogan had attached a note that lifted the export control for the weapons, Starmer let the revolver be left with British officials in Turkey, so it could be deactivated. Taking it home to Britain would be a violation of the country's strict gun laws, writes The Guardian.