Turkish President Presents Starmer With Gun and Ammo at NATO

WHO:

CNN - Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever handed his revolver to Brussels’ airport police for safekeeping.

CNN - Polish President Karol Nawrocki's revolver was awaiting customs clearance at Warsaw Airport.

CNN - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's revolver was stored at the Palazzo Chigi, the seat of government.

BBC - Turkish President presented a gift to Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the UK Labour Party.

WHAT:

CNN - Images shared by the office of Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda showed the Gumusay .357 Magnum revolver, which was set in a wooden display box featuring Turkey’s flag and the NATO logo, along with a placard inscribed “Gumusay, the first revolver-type handgun produced in our country” in Turkish and English.

CNN - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s spokesperson confirmed that all leaders received the same model of revolver, engraved with their own names.

CNN - An aide to Polish President Karol Nawrocki stated that his revolver was awaiting customs clearance at Warsaw Airport and would be kept in an appropriate place “so that it is firstly safe and secondly respected as a gift.”

CNN - The Dutch revolver was due to be disabled while the Swedish one was awaiting import paperwork.

CNN - A Downing Street source revealed that the gun given to Britain’s Keir Starmer came with a cleaning kit and 500 bullets.

CNN - According to the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey, Turkey was the world’s third-largest exporter of small arms between 2019 and 2024, with exports totaling about $3 billion over the period.

CNN - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presented each NATO leader with a vintage revolver and live ammunition, which surprised some leaders.

CNN - The Gumusay .357 Magnum revolver was produced by Turkish arms maker MKE in the 1990s.

CNN - Each NATO leader received a vintage revolver, specifically the Gumusay .357 Magnum, along with live ammunition as a parting gift from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

CNN - The gun given to Sir Keir Starmer came with a cleaning kit and 500 bullets.

CNN - Turkish gunmakers have become significant players in Europe’s civilian firearms market, challenging established brands with inexpensive offerings.

BBC - Sir Keir Starmer was gifted a firearm and ammunition, which was engraved with his name.

BBC - The firearm was part of a series of similar gifts presented to leaders of each country attending the event.

WHERE:

CNN - The revolvers given to the Dutch and Swedish prime ministers were taken to their respective embassies in Ankara.

BBC - The event took place in Ankara, Turkey.

BBC - The weapon has been left with British officials in Turkey and has not been brought back to the UK.

WHEN:

No future dates mentioned.

WHY:

CNN - EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen planned to donate her revolver to a military museum, while the leader of Greece intended to give his to the War Museum in Athens.

CNN - Erdogan aimed to showcase Turkey’s defense industry, which has become a key export and foreign policy tool.

No specific reasons or motivations provided.

HOW:

CNN - The revolvers were presented in a wooden display box featuring Turkey’s flag and the NATO logo, along with a placard inscribed in Turkish and English.

No specific methods or processes detailed.

(UPDATED July 9, 2026 20:33 UTC)

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda recently shared images of a unique .357 Magnum revolver presented to world leaders, displayed in a wooden box adorned with Turkey’s flag and the NATO logo, along with a placard highlighting its significance as the first revolver-type handgun produced in Turkey. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s spokesperson confirmed that each leader received a personalized version of the revolver, while an aide to Polish President Karol Nawrocki mentioned that his gift was awaiting customs clearance in Warsaw. Additionally, a source from Downing Street disclosed that the revolver given to Britain’s Keir Starmer included a cleaning kit and 500 bullets, reflecting Turkey's status as the world’s third-largest exporter of small arms from 2019 to 2024, with exports reaching around $3 billion.

(UPDATED July 9, 2026 17:40 UTC)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan surprised NATO leaders by presenting each of them with a vintage Gumusay .357 Magnum revolver, complete with live ammunition, during a recent gathering. The revolvers, beautifully displayed in wooden boxes adorned with Turkey’s flag and the NATO logo, were also accompanied by a placard inscribed in both Turkish and English. Meanwhile, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, Polish President Karol Nawrocki, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni have all arranged for the safekeeping of their revolvers at various locations, with plans for donations to military museums in the works.

(UPDATED July 9, 2026 15:58 UTC)

In a surprising gesture, Turkish President Erdogan gifted each NATO leader a vintage Gumusay .357 Magnum revolver, complete with live ammunition, to showcase Turkey’s burgeoning defense industry. Among the recipients, Sir Keir Starmer received his revolver along with a cleaning kit and 500 bullets, all presented in a wooden display box adorned with Turkey’s flag and the NATO logo. This move highlights how Turkish gunmakers are making significant strides in Europe’s civilian firearms market, challenging established brands with their affordable offerings.

(UPDATED July 9, 2026 06:21 UTC)

In a notable event in Ankara, Turkey, President Trump presented a unique gift to Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the UK Labour Party. The gift, a firearm engraved with Starmer's name along with ammunition, was part of a series of similar presents given to leaders from various countries attending the occasion. The weapon has been left with British officials in Turkey and has not been returned to the UK.