NATO Meeting: Why did Erdogan gift a pistol to Trump-Macron in Ankara? What is Türkiye’s strategy?

There is a custom of giving sweets, clothes and money as shagun to the guests. The heads of state of two countries have been gifting their famous items, precious metals and traditional clothes to each other. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been seen many times presenting Geeta to his counterparts from other countries. But now Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has gifted something to the heads of states of the guest countries at the 36th NATO Summit organized in the capital Ankara, which has surprised everyone.

What gift did President Erdogan give that stunned all the heads of state?

President Erdogan also presented a pistol and a box of bullets as a gift to every leader who came to attend Ankara. The pistol was inscribed with the name of the leader who took it. But information about which and which brand of pistol was given to the leaders has not been revealed. America’s President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron are also among those who received pistols as gift.

Why could the PMs of Britain and Canada not take the pistol received as a gift with them?

British Prime Minister Keir Stormer gave information about receiving a pistol from Erdogan as a gift while talking to journalists. However, Starmer could not bring that pistol with him. He had to leave his gift in Turkey itself. Actually, Britain’s arms law is very strict. Forget about common citizens, even the Prime Minister cannot carry a pistol with him as a personal item.

Apart from Keir Starmer, Canadian PM Mark Carney also could not bring the gift given to him by President Erdogan. He handed over the pistol to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The bullets were left in Türkiye itself. All government gifts are handled in accordance with applicable Canadian laws, security requirements and government policies. After the advice of the officials, the government will find a suitable place to keep this gift.

Why would President Erdogan have given a pistol as a gift?

• There has been a tradition in Turkey since the time of the Ottoman Empire to gift decorative swords, daggers, pistols or revolvers to foreign rulers, military officers and guests. Its purpose was to show respect to the guests, as well as to showcase Turkey’s military heritage and the potential of the Turkish arms industry. Even now, such scenes are often seen on diplomatic occasions.
• Turkey today produces advanced combat drones such as Bayraktar and TAI TF Kan, ballistic missiles such as Typhoon, battle tanks such as Altay, and warships such as TCG Anadolu. Apart from this, Türkiye is considered to be the top country in manufacturing small arms like pistols and revolvers. Often such gifts are considered a medium to showcase the capability of our defense industry.
• It is possible that by giving such gifts to the guests coming to participate in the NATO summit, President Erdogan is exploring the possibility of small arms trade with them. If even one head of state gets influenced by him, it could prove to be great for Türkiye’s economy.
• When war is raging in the Gulf countries. Many countries are also facing problems on the economic front. In such a situation, Turkey would want to further strengthen relations with NATO allies. This is why the name of the concerned leader was engraved on every pistol. That means it was not an ordinary weapon, but a specially prepared memento. Turkey may want to use the gift of the pistol as a symbol of military partnership and trust with allied countries.

Is Turkey looking for global market for its weapons?

However, there is no official tradition in Turkey to give weapons to leaders of other countries. In such a situation, it can be considered a step by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, through which he wants to showcase Turkey’s military heritage and its rapidly growing defense industry in front of the heads of other countries. You are looking for your benefit through this. In fact, he has recently written a letter to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer demanding removal of the ban on export of arms. In such a situation, their step of giving pistols to the heads of state of other countries definitely raises the suspicion that they are looking for a new market for their domestic weapons. As a gift, the pistol was a better choice than other weapons. Due to its size it was easy for heads of state to carry with them