Starmer gifted gun and ammunition by Turkish president at Nato
Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Sir Keir Starmer received a personalized revolver with live ammunition from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
- The gift was presented during the NATO summit in Ankara.
- Starmer also signed a defense agreement with Erdogan to enhance intelligence sharing.
Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the UK Labour Party, received a personalized revolver loaded with live ammunition as a gift from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the recent NATO summit in Ankara. The firearm, engraved with Starmer's name, was among several similar gifts given to leaders attending the event.
British officials are holding the revolver in Turkey, as importing a live firearm into the UK is illegal. Downing Street has not released a photograph of the weapon. It is expected to be decommissioned before any potential return to Starmer, rendering it incapable of firing.
Erdogan waived export controls for the gift. Starmer's office confirmed that he also signed a defense agreement with Erdogan at the summit, which is intended to foster closer intelligence sharing between the United Kingdom and Turkey.
Following the summit, Starmer commented on the strength and unity of the NATO alliance, particularly in light of ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. This event marks Starmer's last major international engagement before his previously announced resignation.
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.
Originally published by BBC News. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.