Erdogan Gifts NATO Leaders Revolvers; Belgium Alliance Role
The 36th NATO Summit in Ankara has produced two striking storylines for Belgium: an unusual diplomatic gift that caught Prime Minister Bart De Wever by surprise, and a pointed assessment from Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot on the future of transatlantic relations.
The Surprise Gift
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presented every NATO head of state attending the July 7-8 summit with a personalized, engraved Sarsilmaz SR 38 revolver and six live cartridges, as reported by HLN. The gift, accompanied by a cleaning kit and a personal note from Erdogan, was handed out during a reception and state dinner at the Presidential Complex in Ankara.
What made the story particularly Belgian was the discovery. De Wever and his entourage did not open the wrapped gift during the summit. The package was brought back on the military flight to Melsbroek Airport, where it was opened on the tarmac upon arrival Wednesday evening. The revolver was immediately handed over to airport police, who placed it in a weapons safe. Its ultimate fate remains undecided.
Divergent Responses from NATO Leaders
De Wever was far from alone in receiving the unusual souvenir, but NATO leaders responded very differently. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer left his revolver in Turkey, as bringing it to the UK would have violated British firearms legislation, despite Erdogan’s personal letter claiming exemption from export controls. Dutch PM Rob Jetten left his weapon at the Dutch embassy in Ankara to be deactivated in Turkey before being brought to the Netherlands. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz left his at the German embassy to be entered into the official gifts registry. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reportedly planned to donate hers to a military museum.
Prévot on NATO’s Future
As the revolver story broke, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot offered a sobering assessment of the alliance’s state. In an interview on RTBF’s “Matin Première” following the summit, Prévot argued that “the United States is not destined to be the eternal protector of the European Union,” as reported by RTBF.
Prévot acknowledged that while the alliance itself was not damaged, the “capital of trust” between allies had been impacted by the unpredictability of the Trump administration. “Make America Great Again does not mean Make America Alone,” he said, emphasizing that no country, however powerful, can solve global geopolitical challenges alone.
A Call for European Strategic Autonomy
The foreign minister struck a candid tone on Europe’s historical reliance on American military protection. “For decades, let us honestly recognize that we lived under the protection of the American umbrella, without worrying much about investing in our defense,” Prévot said. He argued that Europe must increase its own industrial defense production and cannot claim to want strategic autonomy while refusing to invest in it.
On the question of Greenland, Prévot was firm: preserving the sovereignty and territorial integrity of NATO member states is “non-negotiable.”
Domestic Budget Pressures
Prévot also addressed Belgium’s significant fiscal challenges. The federal government needs to find €7.7 billion by 2029 to keep the deficit under control, even as it has confirmed reaching the 2% GDP defense spending target. He mentioned a wealth tax proposal by Les Engagés president Yvan Verougstraete as part of the debate, stressing that the burden must be fairly distributed. “The country is not run only according to the MR’s wishes,” Prévot said, revealing internal coalition tensions over how to meet fiscal targets.
Analysis and Implications
Erdogan’s choice of gift — a working firearm with live ammunition — is highly unusual by modern diplomatic standards. While ceremonial weapons have historical precedent, a functional revolver crosses into sensitive territory regarding weapons laws and security protocols. The fact that De Wever’s delegation unknowingly transported a loaded firearm on a military aircraft raises questions about security screening procedures for diplomatic gifts.
Prévot’s remarks reflect a growing European sentiment that the continent must take greater responsibility for its own defense, particularly under a Trump administration that has repeatedly challenged the terms of the transatlantic partnership. Belgium, which now meets the 2% GDP defense spending target, faces the difficult task of sustaining this commitment while navigating a severe budget crisis at home.
What to Watch For
The fate of De Wever’s revolver remains unclear — whether it will be destroyed, placed in a museum, or returned to Turkey. More significantly, the debate over European defense autonomy and Belgium’s ability to balance its NATO commitments with domestic fiscal pressures will continue to shape the country’s political landscape in the months ahead.