Erdoğan Gifts NATO Leaders Engraved Revolvers; Starmer Leaves His in Ankara

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney have left behind ceremonial revolvers gifted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the NATO summit in Ankara.

The Controversy of the Diplomatic Gift

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that President Erdoğan presented every NATO leader with a revolver engraved with their name, accompanied by ammunition and a cleaning kit. Starmer described the gift as surprising and noted that it included a note exempting the weapons from export controls.

The British Prime Minister stated he left the weapon and ammunition under the care of British officials in Ankara, as bringing the gift into the UK would violate the law. The item may be returned to him only after it has been deactivated.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney similarly declined to keep the weapon, turning it over to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. It is expected that the revolver may be placed in a museum, while the ammunition remains in Turkey.

NATO Summit Outcomes and Strategic Commitments

The two-day NATO summit concluded in Ankara on Wednesday. The Polish delegation included President Karol Nawrocki, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski.

In a declaration adopted on Wednesday, the alliance leaders reaffirmed their commitment to collective defense under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. They also declared that European members and Canada will take on greater responsibility for security.

Focus on U.S. Military Presence in Poland

Following the summit, President Nawrocki expressed his belief that the alliance is at its strongest in history, crediting President Donald Trump’s pressure on European allies to increase defense spending. Nawrocki emphasized that the strategic goal for Poland is a permanent presence of U.S. troops.

He noted that it is now up to the Polish Ministry of National Defence and its American counterparts to finalize the details of this commitment. During the summit, President Nawrocki also held a constructive one-hour meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, noting that both nations share a common view on threats to their independence.