Recep Tayyip Erdogan
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Turkey
Was Erdoğan's gun gift a faux pas or an old-school diplomatic tradition?
When NATO leaders opened their gift boxes from the Turkish president and found a .357 Magnum revolver, some panicked and others laughed. But gifting heads of state lavish, personalised firearms is a tradition as old as Samuel Colt — and as recent as a Czech pistol presented to Trump in 2019.
Europe News
Newly released footage shows revolver gifted by Erdogan to NATO leaders
Images shared by the Lithuanian Presidency show a revolver given by Turkey's Erdogan to every NATO leader as a parting gift after the summit in Ankara. Each leader received a box containing a revolver engraved with their name, six bullets and a note exempting the weapons from export control.
Europe News
Reset on the menu? Von der Leyen, Erdoğan dinner prompts questions
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will have to chew over much more than just hors d'oeuvres Wednesday evening at a working dinner with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Observers expect her to weigh papering over disputes from both sides with the country's geostrategic value.
Culture news
Turkish comedian arrested for 'insulting' Islam and Erdogan
Turkish comedian Deniz Göktaş was arrested at Istanbul Airport on Thursday following a stand-up show posted to YouTube. The 32-year-old faces multiple probes, including "publicly insulting religious values" and insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
