Erdogan Gives 32 NATO Leaders Pistols as Some Send Gifts to Police, Museums
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 9
Erdogan Gives 32 NATO Leaders Pistols as Some Send Gifts to Police, Museums
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 9
Summary
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever found a pistol and live ammunition in his bag after returning from the NATO summit, then handed the gift to police for secure storage.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave all 32 NATO leaders personalized revolvers with ammunition as summit host, using the unusual gifts to showcase Turkey’s defense industry.
The weapons quickly created legal and logistical problems: Germany sent its pistol to its embassy for lawful import, Britain had its gift decommissioned, and Poland’s was put through customs checks.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen plans to donate hers to a military museum, underscoring how several leaders treated the revolvers as official artifacts rather than usable weapons.