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)
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
20th November 2014
London, UK
2015 will be a big year for the United Kingdom in Turkey. Our countries will stand together in Canakkale in April to mark the sacrifice our troops made when we were enemies on the battlefield one hundred years ago. As Allies today, our troops have served alongside each other in NATO missions around the world. […]
Read more on As G20 President, Turkey has an unparalleled opportunity | Reply
20th October 2014
London, UK
On 26 September 2014, the British Parliament voted in favour of British military strikes in Iraq targeted at ISIL. This decision followed a request to the UN Security Council by the Government of Iraq for support in confronting the ISIL menace. This means that we and other states have a clear basis in international law […]
Read more on Need for a large-scale and inclusive fight against ISIL | Reply
10th October 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Back in February 2013 I wrote a blog called “How bad is corruption in Turkey?” It noted that in the latest Transparency International Corruption Index, published in December 2012, Turkey had improved its ranking by 7 places to 54th place, putting it ahead of some EU countries. In December 2013, Transparency International produced its latest […]
Read more on How bad is corruption in Turkey? (Part 2) | Reply
