2nd May 2017 London, UK
Every year the global community pauses on April 29 to remember the victims of chemical warfare. The U.N. promotes international awareness and action against these horrific weapons that strike insidiously and indiscriminately, causing agonizing death and injury to people who have no way to protect themselves. This year will be all the more poignant as […]
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29th April 2017 Istanbul, Turkey
Every year the global community pauses on 29 April to remember victims of chemical warfare. The UN promotes international awareness and action against these horrific weapons that strike insidiously and indiscriminately, causing agonising death and injury to people who have no way to protect themselves. This year will be all the more poignant as the […]
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13th March 2017 London, UK
When the recently elected Gambian President announced that he intended to take his country back into the Commonwealth (the previous president had withdrawn Gambia from the organisation), one of my twitter followers commented that Gambia was becoming a British colony again! For some in Turkey, the sun has never set on the British Empire. But […]
13th November 2016 London, UK
Lots of people are asking me the same question I get every year on the significance of the poppy flower. Here’s a slightly updated version of the blog I wrote last year if you’re interested in knowing the answer #WhydoBritswearthePoppy? https://blogs.fcdo.gov.uk/richardmoore/2015/11/11/why-do-brits-wear-the-poppy/ Why do Brits wear the Poppy? The small, red flower – a poppy – […]
27th October 2016 Istanbul, Turkey
In August, the former British Ambassador to Lebanon Tom Fletcher wrote an open letter to the children of Syria apologising for the international community’s failure to fully fund education for Syrian refugees. The letter was also a call to action to ensure donors who made pledges at the Syria London Conference in February honoured their […]
27th October 2016 Istanbul, Turkey
In August, the former British Ambassador to Lebanon Tom Fletcher wrote an open letter to the children of Syria apologising for the international community’s failure to fully fund education for Syrian refugees. The letter was also a call to action to ensure donors who made pledges at the Syria London Conference in February honoured their […]
15th July 2016
The best thing about working in Istanbul isn’t the history, the architecture or the teeming energy of the city, magnificent though they may be. No. For a diplomat, the best thing about working here is that Turkey really matters to the United Kingdom. A prosperous, successful Turkey can help boost British security and prosperity. So […]
14th June 2016
Let’s be honest. In four years in this great city I have experienced too many #reasonstolikeistanbul to sum them up in a few farewell blogs. Sorry. Your city is too extraordinary. Maybe that’s not a bad problem to have. For example, people often ask me about my favourite shops, restaurants and cafes. But there are countless […]
10th June 2016
The Bosphorus stands out amongst #reasonstolikeistanbul. It’s central; spectacular; and every Istanbullu craves a “Boğaz manzarası” (Bosphorus view). This matters for the Turkish economy. Not only tourists are attracted by great views. Quality of life is a key to attracting the mobile economic talent and inward investment which is vital for any economy. How can I […]
1st June 2016
A sometimes overlooked #reasonstolikeistanbul is the profusion of quirky museums. Some famous Istanbul museums reflect the city’s ancient history, such as the Archaeology Museum (housing exhibits from both within and outside what is today Turkey) or the unparalleled Aya Sofya. These should be on the itinerary of any visitor. But some of my favourite museums […]