Starmer says Erdogan gifted pistols to leaders at NATO summit, citing Putin defense

BAGHDAD, Iraq — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presented pistols to other leaders attending a NATO summit hosted in Ankara this week, presenting the gifts as a means of defense against Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Starmer, Erdogan told fellow leaders the pistols could serve as a defensive tool against Putin. The British prime minister's remarks came after the summit, where NATO member states gathered in the Turkish capital to address alliance agenda items. Turkey hosted the gathering as the event's host country. Starmer's account has generated discussion about Turkish diplomatic gift protocol at the summit. No official Turkish response to the claim had been issued at the time of reporting.