Erdogan Gifts NATO Leaders Rare Turkish .357 Revolvers

Last updated July 2026 · By Nick Hall, covers revolvers and gun culture for USA Gun Shop

Quick take: At a July 2026 NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan handed each visiting leader an unusual parting gift: a rare Turkish MKE Gumusay .357 Magnum revolver, engraved with the recipient’s name and packed with live ammunition. The wheelgun is roughly 30 years old and almost unknown outside Turkey. That obscurity is exactly what makes it a fun bit of revolver trivia.

A blued .357 Magnum double-action revolver with a four-inch barrel and wood grips, cylinder swung open, resting on a dark surface.

What it is: A Turkish MKE Gumusay, a .357 Magnum revolver built by Turkey’s state arms maker about 30 years ago.
Key detail: Each leader got one engraved with their name, set in a wooden display box with the Turkish flag and the NATO logo.
The joke: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s reportedly arrived with 500 rounds, a wink at Britain’s near-total handgun ban.
Why it matters: An obscure wheelgun landing on the world stage, and a showcase for Turkey’s growing arms industry.

Who handed out revolvers at a NATO summit

At the close of a July 2026 NATO summit in Ankara, host Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave every visiting leader a revolver. NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is the military alliance that links the United States, Canada, the UK, Turkey, and much of Europe. A head of state handing out working firearms as diplomatic gifts is unusual, so the gesture drew plenty of attention.

Each gun reportedly came engraved with the recipient’s name and set in a wooden display box carrying the Turkish flag and the NATO logo. A placard called the Gumusay the first revolver-type handgun produced in Turkey. Reporting frames the whole thing as a showcase for the country’s defense industry, now a major export.

What the MKE Gumusay actually is

MKE is Mekanik ve Kimya Endustrisi, Turkey’s state-owned arms manufacturer, and the Gumusay is one of its older revolver designs. The gun is chambered in .357 Magnum, a powerful American revolver cartridge introduced in the 1930s and still popular for hunting, defense, and target work. A .357 revolver will also safely fire the shorter, milder .38 Special, which makes the caliber a practical choice.

According to the reporting, the Gumusay uses simplified internal lockwork and is not a clone of the well-known Colt Python. It was offered in 2.5, 4, and 6 inch barrel lengths, covering everything from a compact carry-style gun to a longer range piece. These are wheelguns, so the cylinder rotates a fresh round into place with each pull of the trigger, the same basic layout as a classic cowboy six-shooter.

Nobody is sure how many were made

Here is the honest part: total production of the Gumusay is uncertain. Published estimates run anywhere from about 500 to 10,000 across all three barrel lengths, which is a very wide range. That gap should be read as a flag, not a fact, so treat any single production number you see with caution.

The vagueness is part of the appeal for collectors. A gun made roughly 30 years ago in modest, poorly documented numbers is the kind of curio that rarely surfaces outside its home country. Serial numbers, import records, and factory logs for guns like this are thin or missing, which is why the estimates swing so hard. Landing a batch of them on the desks of world leaders only adds to the mystique.

The 500-round wink at Britain

The detail that got commentators grinning involves UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. His revolver reportedly arrived with 500 rounds of ammunition and a cleaning kit. Britain banned civilian ownership of most handguns after the 1996 Dunblane tragedy, so gifting a pistol and a heap of ammo to its prime minister reads as a pointed, if good-natured, joke.

Other leaders faced their own paperwork. Reporting notes several planned to deactivate the guns or route them to museums, following the firearm laws back home. For American readers used to buying a .357 over the counter, the scramble is a reminder of how differently handguns are treated around the world. If the caliber has you curious, our roundups of the best .357 Magnum revolvers and the bigger-bore best .44 Magnum revolvers cover models you can actually buy here.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the MKE Gumusay revolver?

It is a .357 Magnum revolver built by MKE, Turkey's state-owned arms maker, roughly 30 years ago. It uses simplified lockwork and is not a copy of the Colt Python.

Why did Erdogan give NATO leaders revolvers?

Reporting frames the gifts as a showcase for Turkey's defense industry. Each visiting leader at the July 2026 summit in Ankara reportedly received one engraved with their name.

Did the revolvers really come with ammunition?

Yes, according to the reporting. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's gift reportedly included 500 rounds and a cleaning kit, which many read as a jab at Britain's strict handgun laws.

How many Gumusay revolvers were made?

Nobody knows for sure. Estimates range widely, from about 500 to 10,000 across the 2.5, 4, and 6 inch barrel lengths, so treat any exact figure with caution.

What is a .357 Magnum?

It is a powerful American revolver cartridge from the 1930s used for defense, hunting, and target shooting. Guns chambered for it can also fire the milder .38 Special.

Can I buy a Gumusay in the United States?

They are rare and were not widely imported, so finding one is tough. If you want a .357 wheelgun you can actually purchase, our best .357 Magnum revolvers guide lists current options.