UK Ambassador to Ankara Jennifer Elizabeth Anderson said her country had changed its approach to Israel. Anderson said what was happening in Gaza and the West Bank could not continue and that the United Kingdom would not remain silent in the face of further suffering.
Anderson described the United Kingdom's decision to ban trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories as part of new measures aimed at supporting a two-state solution and preventing further settlement expansion in the West Bank. She said the Israeli government would be judged by its actions in Gaza and the West Bank.
The UK ambassador to Ankara presented her credentials to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on September 8 and began her post in Ankara the same month. Anderson previously served as deputy head of mission at the British Embassy in Ankara.
Türkiye-UK relations
Anderson said relations between Türkiye and the United Kingdom were strong and growing stronger. She said the two countries had signed a Strategic Partnership Framework in April and a Security and Defence Partnership agreement in July.
Anderson said bilateral trade stood at £17 billion during her previous posting and had risen to £28.6 billion this year. She added that negotiations on a new free trade agreement were continuing. She said cooperation had expanded into migration, defence, development, science, technology, innovation and the transition to green energy.
Anderson said the number of UK citizens visiting Türkiye had also increased. She said the figure had risen from around 1.7 million in 2020 to 4.4 million this year.
Describing Türkiye and the United Kingdom as two of NATO's leading allies, Anderson said defence cooperation was one of the strategic areas contributing to economic growth. She said the Security and Defence Partnership agreement signed during the NATO Summit in Ankara reflected the two countries' determination to deepen cooperation across all areas of the defence industry.
Anderson's impressions of Ankara
Anderson, who had previously served in Türkiye, said the country had always held a special place in her heart and that she had tried to follow developments in Türkiye closely after leaving. She said she had worked as director of consular and crisis operations after her previous posting and had coordinated the UK's assistance to Türkiye following the 2023 earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş.
Anderson said she was pleased to live at the ambassador's residence in Ankara and was familiar with areas such as Tunalı Hilmi Avenue and Ulus. She said she had studied Turkish before leaving her previous post, read Turkish newspapers and watched Turkish television.
Anderson said she loved Ankara and enjoyed Turkish idioms, describing the expressions “kuş uçmaz kervan geçmez” and “aynı tas aynı hamam” as romantic. Calling Turkish cuisine “incredible,” Anderson said her favorite dish was stuffed collard greens, which she tasted during a trip to the Black Sea region, while her favorite dessert was katmer, which she ate with her children during a visit to Gaziantep.
