Carney got a gun from Turkey's president; will find 'appropriate placement' for it

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA — Prime Minister Mark Carney won’t be keeping an engraved pistol given to him by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who gifted one to all leaders attending the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, the government said.

Global Affairs Canada said the gun is being transferred to the RCMP to be decommissioned, and the ammunition accompanying the gift remained in Turkey.

“All official gifts are handled in accordance with applicable Canadian laws, security requirements, and government policies,” read an unattributed statement from the department.

Canada’s Conflict of Interest Act prohibits office holders, including the prime minister, from keeping gifts worth over $1,000 and requires them to declare gifts over $200 given as a matter of courtesy or protocol to the conflict of interest commissioner. Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau, was found guilty by the commissioner of violating the act for accepting a luxury vacation on the private island of Aga Khan, and was later fined for failing to declare a pair of sunglasses worth over $200.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer revealed the existence of Erdoğan’s unexpected gift as he was speaking to British reporters on his flight home to London from the Ankara summit. He said the pistols were inscribed with the name of each recipient and came with a box of ammunition.

Starmer said he had to leave his gift in Turkey because importing it into Britain would be illegal, although a letter from Erdoğan lifted export controls on the weapons.

The gun given to Carney might find a home elsewhere in Canada after it is rendered inoperable, according to one source.

“Following guidance from Canadian authorities, the government will look to find appropriate placement for the gift, including at a Canadian museum,” said a senior government source who asked not to be named in order to comment for this story.

The Canadian government did not immediately provide details of the weapon, such as the model of the pistol in question, but firearm imports into Canada are strictly regulated and it is generally illegal to bring new handguns into the country, with a few narrow exceptions.

— With files from AFP

National Post calevesque@postmedia.com

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