Erdogan gives NATO leaders a personalized pistol. Starmer is forced to leave it in Ankara

2026-07-08 23:07:56Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Erdogan's unusual gift to NATO leaders

Symbolic gifts to leaders at summits are common practice, but Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's original choice for the NATO summit in Ankara has caused consternation. According to European media, Erdogan presented each of the NATO leaders with a pistol engraved with their name and a box of real bullets.

The revelation was made by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who spoke about the matter on his return trip from the summit. He said he could not take the weapon with him to Britain as importing it would be illegal under British law.

Starmer's pistol will remain in Ankara and is expected to be removed from use, despite Erdogan having secured a personal letter lifting restrictions on the weapon's export from Turkey.

The British Prime Minister described the gift as an unexpected choice by the Turkish president. It is not yet known whether other NATO leaders have faced the same obstacles in transporting the gift.

In addition to the pistol, the leaders also received more traditional gifts, among them the book "The Politics of Courage: Erdogan and the Rise of Turkey," a luxuriously bound edition, as well as a notepad and a pen with each leader's name on it.

 

 


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