In brief
Sir Keir Starmer received a personalized revolver with live ammunition from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the NATO summit, a gift that remains in Turkey because it can't be imported into the UK. The firearm is set to be decommissioned before being returned. Erdogan waived export controls for the present, but UK law forbids bringing live guns into the country. Starmer signed a defence pact with Erdogan, promising closer intelligence sharing amid tensions in Ukraine and Iran. The event marks Starmer’s final major international engagement before his resignation.
Sir Keir Starmer was given a personalised revolver with live ammunition as a gift by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the NATO summit.
The firearm, engraved with Starmer’s name, was one of a series of similar gifts presented to each attending nation's leader in Ankara.
The revolver has not been taken back to the UK and remains with British officials in Turkey.
It will be decommissioned before return, meaning it will no longer fire live rounds.
Erdogan waived export controls on the gift, but the UK’s import laws prohibit live firearms entering the country.
Downing Street has not released a picture of the revolver.
At the summit, Sir Keir signed a defence agreement with Erdogan, paving the way for closer intelligence sharing amid conflicts in Ukraine and Iran.
Spearing the summit, Sir Keir said the alliance felt stronger and more united.
"This has been a good summit. We achieved what we wanted to achieve, which is unity," he added. "So important we have that, particularly with the conflicts going on in Ukraine and the conflicts in Iran," he continued.
It will be Sir Keir’s last major international event, after his resignation announcement last month.
