Leigh Turner
Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna
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UK in Austria
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29th November 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
What is the best possible use of one of Istanbul’s most iconic buildings? How about this? We’re bringing together brilliant British brands and buyers on 5-7 December in the most beautiful rooms in Pera House, the historic British Consulate-General Building in the heart of Istanbul, for a “Winter Wonderland“. The aim of the Winter Wonderland is to […]
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27th November 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Here is my second video blog in Turkish. It’s about my favourite obsession (who can spot the film reference?): tiny, hidden Lundy Island, Atlantic Ocean. I would say – go and visit the island! But I’d rather it remained, as now, far off the beaten track… If you like the sound of Lundy you might […]
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4th November 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Serendipity, “The God Particle” and Turkish-British Collaboration in Science – a guest blog by Dr. Başak Candemir, Science and Innovation Officer, British Consulate-General Istanbul On 8 October, the Nobel Committee awarded the Physics Prize jointly to British scientist Peter Higgs and Belgian scientist Francois Englert. Professor Higgs gave his name to the the “Higgs Boson” or […]
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18th September 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Is anything as quintessentially British as a “cup of tea”? I’m delighted that our GREAT Campaign has proudly partnered with British producer Tregothnan Tea, whose excellent website includes the fine slogan: “Tea is liquid wisdom”. British tea is justifiably famous. Apparently people in the UK consume 165 million cups a day. But Tregothnan tea is more British than most. This is […]
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4th September 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
A blog co-authored with Nadia Hashmi, human rights lead at the British Embassy in Ankara Did you know that diamonds are the most tightly-regulated trade item in the world? The reason is to combat human rights violations which could potentially be involved in their acquisition. Human rights and trade can seem strange bedfellows. Sometimes people argue […]
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3rd September 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Often in this blog I write about Turkey and its terrific qualities. But today I’m going to write about the United Kingdom. The reason is that I recently saw a survey suggesting that people in Turkey did not rate the UK highly for “natural beauty” compared with other European countries. This surprised me, because I […]
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20th August 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
I started work in Turkey in September 2012 as Consul-General responsible for Trade and Investment with Turkey, South Caucasus and Central Asia. Since then I’ve been regularly impressed by this wonderful, welcoming country. Turks are famed for their hospitality. But they should be famous too for their hard work; business acumen; passion; cuisine; and unparalleled […]
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16th August 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Here’s my first video blog in Turkish. It’s about why language matters; and what I’m doing in Turkey. Comments welcome!
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2nd August 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Most of us should feel happy about getting older – as they say, it’s better than the alternative. But some of us can feel happier about it than others. To find out why, check out this fascinating Google web-site based on World Bank statistics. It shows life expectancy at birth, ie how long you can […]
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15th July 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Why does Britain like Turkey? Most of all, it’s because we want to have Turkey as a democratic, stable and prosperous partner. The more democratic, stable and prosperous Turkey becomes, the better for Britain. That’s partly because countries which embrace free markets and foreign investment are good trading partners, and trade makes everyone better-off. It’s […]
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