Turkish President's Surprise Gift to NATO Leaders on Their Way Home... Awkward Reactions from World Leaders
Handguns and Ammunition Engraved with Leaders' Names Presented
Gifts Handed Over to British Embassy and Belgian Police
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey, has made headlines by gifting handguns to participants of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit held in the country's capital, Ankara.
According to international media outlets such as the Turkish daily newspaper and The Guardian on July 9 (local time), UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters upon his return home that President Erdogan presented each national leader with a revolver engraved with their names and a box containing live ammunition, as they departed after the two-day summit.
In a photo of the gift taken by a Belgian official, the barrel and trigger of the gun appear to be made of silver metal, while the handle is made of what is presumed to be brown-colored wood. Six bullets were included.
President Erdogan exempted the gifts from relevant export regulations so that the leaders could take the weapons with them, but due to import restrictions in the UK, the gift will be kept at the British Embassy in Turkey. Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten is also reported to have left his handgun in Turkey.
According to the daily HLN, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever only discovered the presence of the handgun after opening the gift package upon arrival at Melsbroek Airfield. He then handed it over to local police. The firearm is currently stored in the vault of the aviation police, and authorities will decide later how to handle the gift.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also took the handgun back to his country and turned it over to the police, and it is said that it may potentially be donated to a museum. However, it was decided that the ammunition would remain in Turkey.
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Politico Europe reported that the European Union 'top two' who attended the summit—Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and António Costa, President of the European Council—also received handguns. President Costa also intends to temporarily hand over the gift to local security authorities in accordance with Belgian law.
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