In brief
At the NATO summit in Ankara, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was awarded a personalised revolver with live ammunition by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The gift, engraved with Starmer’s name, was one of many presented to leaders of attending nations. It remains in Turkey and will be decommissioned before return because the UK cannot import a live firearm. Starmer’s defence agreement with Turkey promises closer intelligence sharing amid global conflicts. The gesture underscores tightened ties but also highlights UK export control restrictions.
Sir Keir Starmer was handed a personalised revolver, filled with live ammunition, by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the NATO summit in Ankara.
The firearm, engraved with Starmer’s name, was one of a series of similar gifts presented to the leader of each country attending the event.
The revolver remains with Turkish officials and will be decommissioned before it is returned, meaning it will no longer be capable of firing live ammunition.
Erdogan waived export controls on the gift, but the UK cannot import a live firearm because it is illegal. The UK has not released a photo of the revolver.
During the summit, Starmer signed a defence agreement with Erdogan that paves the way for closer intelligence sharing between the two countries.
Speaking after the summit, Starmer said the alliance was stronger and more united, noting the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Iran.
This will be Starmer’s last major international event after he announced his resignation last month.
