17th July 2025
Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
15th July 2025
International Day of Women in Diplomacy: UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls visit to Geneva
1st May 2025
The UN Commission on the Status of Women: My first visit as UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls
19th April 2013 Chevening, UK
The conflict chain is beginning to break: It is time for a stable Somalia
The upcoming conference in London, to be co-hosted by David Cameron and the Somali President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, on May 7th, marks a new beginning in terms of Somalia’s relationship with the international world. This and the G8 Foreign Ministers Meeting last week, where Somalia was a key issue on the agenda, as well as […]
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19th April 2013 Yerevan, Armenia
The way to come to CHANGES
Our colleagues from the British Embassy posts in Yerevan and Ankara paid visit to both countries to meet with civil society organisations, journalists and junior decision makers in Turkey and Armenia to exchange ideas and explore opportunities for future project cooperation between two countries. Following to the visits Serra Cetin Head of Projects Team […]
19th April 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
A memory of Lady Thatcher
As I prepared for an interview on ExpressenTV on the night of Lady Thatcher’s funeral, I read through the entries in the Embassy’s condolence book. Many Ambassadors, representing countries from across the world had come to the Embassy to pay their tributes, as had members of the British community and Swedish citizens. What struck me […]
19th April 2013 New Delhi, India
A look to the future
“For tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today”. Undoubtedly, no one knows the future. Yet the above quote from Malcom X neatly encapsulates why strategic thinkers across the globe need to anticipate the future. Policy makers, businessman, militaries. All try to contemplate future scenarios in order to stay ahead of their global […]
18th April 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Message from the new Consul
A guest blog by Timothy Fisher, HM Consul at the British Consulate General in İstanbul, Turkey. With 2.5m British visitors and 40,000 British residents in Turkey, Consular work (helping British nationals in need overseas) is a key part of our work in Turkey. Therefore I was delighted to start work as Consul and Director of […]
18th April 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
How to get a British Visa
Summer is coming. The number of people wanting to travel is rising. That’s great, particularly for those of you travelling to the United Kingdom – we’re looking forward to seeing you. The fact that there are lots of people travelling means that here in Istanbul we are processing more visas. To help ensure we provide […]
17th April 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Helping prevent sexual violence
G8 Foreign Ministers came together in London last week to discuss conflict resolution and the prevention of sexual violence. With the current turmoil on its south eastern border, Turkey needs no reminding of the suffering conflict can cause. William Hague has described Syria as potentially the “worst humanitarian catastrophe” of the 21st century. Last weekend’s […]
17th April 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Human Rights and Democracy Report 2012
This year it will be 65 years since the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Open any newspaper or news website today and you find depressingly many and varied examples of continuing breaches of those universal rights in countries around the world. Advancing respect for universal human rights is a priority […]
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17th April 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Comemorarea lui Lady Margaret Thatcher în România
Săptămâna trecută am primit la ambasadă mulţi vizitatori și multe mesaje de condoleanțe la moartea doamnei Margaret Thatcher. Am fost impresionat la citirea sentimentelor exprimate de numărului mare de admiratori pe care i-a avut aici în România şi a felului în care acțiunile și realizările sale au fost percepute în această parte a Europei. În […]
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17th April 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Margaret Thatcher, remembered in Romania
Last week we received many visitors to the Embassy and many messages of condolence on the death of Margaret Thatcher. I was touched to read the sentiments of the many admirers that she had in Romania, and her achievements as seen by people in this part of Europe. In the first place, she is seen […]
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