Starmer gifted gun and ammunition by Turkish president at Nato

Sir Keir Starmer received a personalised revolver with unmarked ammunition from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the NATO summit in Ankara. The firearm, engraved with the prime minister’s name, was one of a series of similar gifts presented to each head of state attending the meeting. The weapon remains in Turkey with British officials and has not been returned to the United Kingdom. It is expected to be decommissioned before any return, rendering it incapable of firing live rounds. Although Erdogan waived export controls for the gift, UK law prohibits importing a live firearm, so the revolver stays in Turkey. Downing Street has not released an image of the revolver. At the summit, Starmer signed a defence statement with Erdogan intended to pave the way for personnel sharing between the two countries. Speaking afterward, he said he believed the alliance was stronger and more unified following the gathering. He stated, “This has been a bully summit. We achieved what we wanted to achieve, which is unity.” He added, “So important we person that, peculiarly with the conflicts going connected successful Ukraine and the conflicts successful Iran,” he added. He noted that this engagement would be his final major international appearance after announcing his resignation last month.