Erdogan Gives NATO Leaders Revolvers With Live Ammo

At a recent NATO summit in Ankara, an unexpected incident occurred: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presented each world leader with a commemorative gift — custom revolvers with engraved names. However, some heads of state discovered that the weapons were not just souvenirs but were fully loaded.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever became the main character of this story. He did not open the gift box until returning home and only at Brussels airport learned that he had carried a gilded revolver with six rounds of live ammunition across the border. According to eyewitnesses, the official was extremely surprised and immediately handed the weapon to airport police.

Now Belgian authorities have to decide what to do with this unusual gift. The vintage revolver, decorated with engraving bearing the recipient's name, represents not only historical value but also a potential threat, given the rules on arms transportation.

Not all leaders found themselves in such a delicate situation. Representatives of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Sweden prudently left the revolvers in Turkey, apparently not wanting to risk crossing borders. Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, on the contrary, decided to display her specimen in Rome as part of a collection.

This incident has sparked lively discussions in diplomatic circles. On the one hand, gifts from heads of state are a long-standing tradition, but usually they do not contain ammunition. On the other hand, the incident highlights how unpredictable the Turkish leader can be in his gestures.

Experts note that such situations could set a precedent in NATO protocol practice. Now diplomats will have to more carefully check gifts, especially if they come from countries with tense relations with the West. However, Erdogan himself is unlikely to have expected such a stir around his gesture.

The story of the revolvers has already received wide coverage in world media and became a meme on social networks. Users joke about how future summits will look and advise leaders to check the contents of gift boxes in advance.