Erdogan surprises Dutch prime minister with a revolver and bullets

©picture alliance / Anadolu | Binnur Ege Gurun Kocak

Erdogan handed out unusual gifts following the NATO summit in Ankara.

At the NATO summit in Ankara, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten also received an unusual gift from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: a personalized revolver with his name engraved on the barrel, along with ammunition. The prime minister did not discover exactly what was inside the gift box until later.

The surprise came to light after foreign media reported that other NATO leaders had also received a similar gift. Erdogan is said to have presented several heads of government with an engraved revolver, each with a personal inscription and accompanying bullets. The weapon was reportedly delivered with export documents. According to Dutch media reports, Jetten did accept the gift—since official gifts from other heads of state are typically accepted—but the weapon will remain in Turkey, where it will be rendered inoperable and subsequently handled in accordance with regulations. The special diplomatic gift is said to have remained at the Dutch embassy in Ankara and will therefore not be traveling with the prime minister to the Netherlands.

Elsewhere, too, the diplomatic gift led to practical consequences. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also left his copy behind in Ankara because, under British firearms laws, he was not permitted to take it home. In Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s firearm was handed over to the police to be rendered inoperable. The exact procedure therefore varies by country, but the same conclusion applies everywhere: an official gift that was intended to be symbolic has suddenly turned into a security and firearms issue. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever did not realize what was in the box until he had landed at the Melsbroek military airport. There, he handed the firearm over to the aviation police. The revolver will be rendered inoperable. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is also said to have received a firearm.

©picture alliance / Anadolu | Binnur Ege Gurun Kocak