FLASH
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave each NATO leader attending the Ankara summit a surprise gift: a revolver with their name engraved on it and a box of loaded bullets.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who revealed the gesture to reporters on the flight home, was unable to return to Britain, where importing the weapon would be illegal.
His revolver remained in Ankara, to be dismantled, despite Erdogan having given personal permission to lift Turkey's export controls. Starmer shared the details with reporters on the flight home from Ankara, describing the revolvers as a surprise choice by the Turkish president.
Erdogan also gave each leader a note personally ordering a halt to the import of these revolvers from Turkey, an unusual step that nevertheless failed to resolve the legal situation Starmer faced upon returning to Britain.
It is not clear whether other NATO leaders have faced similar obstacles to bringing their weapons home. Starmer's situation was specific to British firearms law, which has imposed strict controls on the import and private possession of firearms since the 1996 Dunblane massacre, which led to a near-total ban.
The gifts were distributed on the sidelines of the 36th NATO Summit, held on July 7-8 at the Turkish Presidential Complex in Ankara, the first NATO summit hosted by Turkey since Istanbul in 2004.
Erdogan and First Lady Emine Erdogan personally welcomed the alliance leaders to the complex, hosting a state reception and dinner on the opening night.
The summit itself was dominated by issues of defense spending, support for Ukraine and the prospect of renewed US arms sales to Ankara, including a possible reversal of the long-standing ban on sales of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.
Erdogan’s lifting of export controls on Turkey showed a clear awareness that weapons could face detailed border checks. For Starmer, the note only resolved the Turkish side of the equation. British law was not so easily ignored.
The Prime Minister returned home without the gun. It will be dismantled in Turkey, leaving Starmer with the story, not the gun.
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