Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever expressed surprise upon discovering a gun with accompanying ammunition in his luggage. The incident occurred as the Belgian leader returned home after the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, concluded on 8/7.

De Wever subsequently handed the gun over to police at Brussels Airport for storage in a safe.

Images released by the Lithuanian President's Office indicated the gift appeared to be a Gumusay, a rare revolver model manufactured by Turkish arms producer MKE in the 1990s. The gun was presented in a wooden box emblazoned with the Turkish flag, NATO logo, and a plaque engraved with text in Turkish and English, stating: "Gumusay, the first revolver produced in our country".

The gun presented by Erdogan to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda at the NATO summit in Ankara. *Photo: Lithuanian President's Office*

A spokesperson for Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stated that all leaders attending the NATO summit received the same gun model, each engraved with the recipient's name.

An aide to Polish President Karol Nawrocki said his gun was awaiting customs clearance at Warsaw Airport. It will be stored in an appropriate location, ensuring safety and showing respect for the gift. "Certainly, no one will use it to shoot", the aide added.

According to representatives for the Prime Ministers of the Netherlands and Sweden, the guns have been sent to their respective embassies in Ankara. The Dutch gun will be deactivated, while the Swedish one is awaiting completion of import procedures.

Sources from the UK Prime Minister's Office indicated that the gift for Prime Minister Keir Starmer came with a cleaning kit and 500 rounds of ammunition. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's gun has been stored at the Italian government headquarters along with other diplomatic gifts.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen intends to donate this gift to a military museum, while the Greek leader plans to donate the gun to the War Museum in Athens.

NATO leaders attended the summit in Ankara, Turkey, on 8/7. *Photo: AFP*

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's gesture is believed to be aimed at promoting Turkey's defense industry, a sector playing a crucial role in exports and serving as a tool for Ankara's foreign policy.

Turkey's modern handgun manufacturing industry primarily focuses on semi-automatic models, making the Gumusay model considered quite rare and of interest to collectors.

In recent years, Turkish companies have significantly expanded their market share in the European civilian firearms market, thanks to competitively priced handguns and hunting rifles. This move has put pressure on established brands from Italy and Belgium, known for their sports firearms and law enforcement weapons.

According to the Switzerland-based organization Small Arms Survey, Turkey was the world's third-largest exporter of small arms during the 2019-2024 period, with total exports of approximately 3 billion USD, trailing only the United States and Italy.

Huyen Le (According to NBC News, CNN)