Sir Keir Starmer received a custom revolver, engraved with his name and loaded with live ammunition, as a gift from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the NATO summit in Ankara.
The handgun is part of a series of personal awards presented to attending heads of state, each bearing the recipient’s initials. The revolver is currently held by British officials in Turkey. Because UK import law prohibits the arrival of a live‑loaded firearm, the gun will be de‑commissioned before any return.
Erdogan waived export controls for the present but left it on Turkish soil to comply with safety regulations. Downing Street has not published a photo; no publicly available images of the weapon exist.
While accepting the gift, Starmer signed a defence agreement with Erdogan that will deepen intelligence sharing and military cooperation between the United Kingdom and Turkey.
After the summit, the Labour leader said the alliance had “stood stronger and more united” amid the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Iran, marking his final major international engagement before resigning as party chairman last month.
