Starmer given gun and ammunition by Turkish president at NATO summit
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer received a personalized revolver with live ammunition from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the NATO summit in Ankara. The weapon remains in Turkey and will be decommissioned before return.
Sir Keir Starmer was given a personalised revolver with live ammunition as a gift by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the NATO summit in Ankara. The firearm was engraved with the prime minister's name, one of a series of similar gifts presented to leaders attending the event.
The revolver has not been brought back to the UK and remains with British officials in Turkey. It is expected to 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 it was left in Turkey because importing a live firearm into the UK is illegal. Downing Street has not released a picture of the revolver.
At the summit, Starmer signed a defence agreement with Erdogan that will pave the way for closer intelligence sharing between the countries. Speaking after the summit, Starmer said he believed the alliance was stronger and more united following the gathering. "This has been a good summit. We achieved what we wanted to achieve, which is unity. So important we have that, particularly with the conflicts going on in Ukraine and the conflicts in Iran," he added.
The summit was Starmer's last major international event, after he announced his resignation last month.
