British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was presented with a personalized revolver and live ammunition by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the recent NATO summit in Ankara. The firearm. Engraved with Starmer’s name. Was part of a series of similar gifts given to each country’s leader attending the event. The revolver has not been brought back to the UK and will remain in Turkey, where it is expected to be decommissioned before being returned to Britain, as importing a live firearm into the UK is illegal. A Turkish export permit was provided for the gift, but Downing Street has not released images of the revolver.

European Leaders Also Received Engraved Pistols

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa also received engraved pistols and live ammunition from Erdoğan at the summit, while Costa’s security team reportedly took the weapon for checks and will follow Belgian procedures to transport and store it in accordance with EU security requirements. The gifts included a cleaning kit and were described as high-end firearms, according to Politico and T-Online.

Gifts Spark Discussion on Symbolism and Security

Bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz received a similar firearm from Erdoğan, though he left the weapon with the Turkish embassy to ensure proper import procedures. A German government spokesperson stated the revolver would be officially cataloged as part of the collection of official gifts. The practice of engraving the recipient’s name into the weapon was noted by both British and German media. Starmer reported the gift to journalists on his return flight, while the Turkish presidential office did not respond to media inquiries about the event.

Starmer’s Final Summit Before Resignation

Starmer’s NATO summit in Ankara marked his last major international event before announcing his resignation last month. During the summit, he signed a defense agreement with Erdoğan, aimed at enhancing intelligence sharing between the UK and Turkey. Speaking after the summit, Starmer expressed optimism about the alliance’s unity, stating, ‘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.’