Leigh Turner
Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna
Part of
UK in Austria
Read biography
6th March 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Amongst the snippets of “what will happen in 2015?” news earlier this year I saw one piece of news sure to please many people. A new James Bond 007 Film, “Spectre”, will launch in November. People are fascinated by secret services. Some are more secret than others. My blog of December 2010, “I can burn […]
Read more on James Bond, conspiracy theories and the Welsh Secret Service | Reply (1)
20th February 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Next week promises to be a big week for UK-Turkish trade and investment. Lord Livingston, the British Minister of State for Trade and Investment, will visit Turkey from 22-25 February. The Minister will open a GREAT Technology event; hold formal high-level talks with Trade Minister Zeybekci; meet British investors in Turkey, and Turkish investors in […]
Read more on UK and Turkey: doing good business | Reply (3)
18th February 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
British people are often accused of using too many sporting metaphors. Expression such as “a good innings” (doing well but nearly finished) or “a sticky wicket” (a hard-to-defend situation) come from cricket. Others, eg “game, set and match” (the contest has ended) or “ the ball’s in your court” (it’s up to you to make […]
Read more on Business in Turkey: the rules of the game | Reply
6th February 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
A conservatively-dressed couple sit quietly in a park, kissing. A valet pilots Range Rovers outside a posh business restaurant. A transvestite burlesque dancer belts out a song to a packed house of, mostly, women. A pale new moon rises over a mosque between two skyscrapers. A band of pigeon-fanciers clusters round a wooden cage of […]
Read more on #REASONSTOLIKEISTANBUL: My Top 5 Tips | Reply (3)
4th February 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
I work for UK Trade and Investment (UKTI). UKTI is the part of the British Government which helps British companies to trade internationally, and which helps overseas companies to set up shop and invest in the UK. International trade is one of the best ways to help countries become more stable and prosperous. Check out […]
Read more on Helping to build Istanbul’s Grand Airport and keep it safe | Reply (1)
31st January 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Let’s imagine a Turkey almost 10 years from now, in 2023. The years since 2015 have been tough for the Turkish economy, as for all countries. But the people of Turkey have risen magnificently to the challenge. By 2023, buoyed by high rates of economic growth for each of the last eight years, nominal GDP has more […]
Read more on Turkey 2023: why the UK welcomes Turkish success | Reply
23rd January 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Take five brilliant Turkish entrepreneurs. Add Turkish and British venture capitalists, round-trip tickets to London, consultancy services by accountants and lawyers on setting up in the UK, work visas and tax issues; mentoring sessions; and a guided tour of London’s “Tech City” technology hub. Mix thoroughly and turn out. Result: a host of terrific business […]
Read more on Top Turkish entrepeneurs – in London | Reply (1)
19th December 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
It’s a delicate business judging how much personal stuff to put in a blog. In the past I’ve written official blogs with a rich mix of personal and work entries. Then Twitter came along and much personal material, such as my famous series #reasonstolikeIstanbul, was swept away into the Twitterverse. I’ve so far tweeted out […]
Read more on Festive 50: From “Every Little Bit Hurts" To "Stay With Me" | Reply
16th December 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
I recently had the honour to speak on a panel at a Financial Times Conference on International Financial Centres in Istanbul. The conference included an interesting presentation by Turkey’s Investment Support and Promotion Agency (ISPAT) on Turkey’s powerful economic fundamentals and the potential benefits for foreign businesses in investing here. British companies have been paying […]
Read more on How to get (even) more investment in Turkey | Reply
2nd December 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
I wrote a blog last year called “Why Turkey can be confident”. The point of that blog was to say that, given that Turkey was a large country with a trillion-dollar economy playing an influential role in world affairs, I couldn’t understand why some people argued that events inside Turkey were determined to a large […]
Read more on Turkey, the EU and NATO | Reply