In brief
During the NATO summit in Ankara President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presented Sir Keir Starmer with a personalised revolver bearing live ammunition. The firearm, engraved with the British prime minister’s name, remains in Turkey and will likely be de‑commissioned before any return, as bringing a live weapon into the UK is illegal. The gift was part of a broader diplomatic outreach that also saw a defence agreement signed between London and Ankara, aimed at deeper intelligence sharing amid ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Sir Keir said the summit strengthened unity and marked it as his final major international event before resigning.
Sir Keir Starmer received a personalised revolver with live ammunition as a gift from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the NATO summit in Ankara. The firearm, engraved with the British prime minister’s name, was part of a series presented to the leaders of the member states in attendance.
The revolver has not been brought back to the United Kingdom and is currently held by British officials in Turkey. Because it contains live rounds, it will most likely be de‑commissioned – rendered incapable of firing – before any transfer back to the UK is possible.
Erdogan waived the usual export controls for the gift, but importing a live firearm into Britain remains illegal under current law. As a result, the weapon was deliberately left behind in Turkey.
While Downing Street has not released a photograph of the revolver, the gesture was part of a broader diplomatic push. At the same summit Sir Keir signed a defence agreement with Erdogan that will facilitate closer intelligence sharing between the United Kingdom and Turkey.
The prime minister summed up his feelings about the summit with the lines “This was a good summit. We achieved unity.” He added that the pull‑together is especially vital given ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The NATO meeting is expected to be Sir Keir’s final major international engagement, following his announcement of resignation last month.
