European leaders attending the NATO summit in Ankara received engraved pistols and live ammunition as farewell gifts from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, according to POLITICO.
The ceremonial firearms, accompanied by ammunition and a cleaning kit, were presented on Wednesday to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, two EU officials told the publication.
Speaking to reporters aboard his return flight from Turkey, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said leaders were given a revolver engraved with their name along with a box of ammunition.
According to Starmer, Erdoğan also attached documentation exempting the firearms from Turkish export restrictions.
The British prime minister, however, said he was forced to leave his pistol in Turkey because importing it into the United Kingdom would be illegal.
The summit marked Starmer's final major international gathering as prime minister after announcing his resignation from Downing Street on June 22. He is expected to remain in office until a Labour Party successor is chosen, with former Manchester mayor Andy Burnham among the names tipped as a potential replacement.
An official from the European Council said Costa's security team had taken possession of the firearm for verification.
“We will follow Belgian procedures to bring it to Belgium and then store it in accordance with the security requirements imposed by the Council's General Secretariat,” the official said.
Von der Leyen's office did not immediately respond to requests for clarification regarding the fate of her gift. However, one EU official noted that the expensive ceremonial pistols may exceed the strict limits governing gifts received by European officials, making it unlikely that recipients will be allowed to retain them personally.
Other European leaders, including Starmer and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, have publicly stated that they intend to leave the firearms in Turkey to be deactivated before any attempt is made to bring them home.
Financial Times: Erdoğan, NATO Zirvesi’ne katılan lidere isimlerine özel tabancalar ve gerçek mermi hediye etti.
— Sabah (@sabah) July 8, 2026
Her silah için ihracat belgelerini hazırlattı.
İngiltere Başbakanı Keir Starmer, kendisine hediye edilen silahı ülkesine götürmedi. Çünkü bunu Birleşik Krallık’a… pic.twitter.com/61d3nEVccn
Sources: POLITICO
