The United Kingdom’s new ambassador to Ankara, Jennifer Elizabeth Anderson, said Britain was changing its approach towards Israel following its decision to ban trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
“The UK is now changing its approach. There has been unimaginable suffering in Gaza and the West Bank, and this cannot continue,” Anderson told Anadolu in an interview in Turkish.
The ambassador said the UK “will not remain silent while more suffering continues”, adding that the measures were intended to support a two-state solution and prevent illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Anderson presented her credentials to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on September 8 and began her new post in Ankara this month.
She previously served as deputy head of mission at the British Embassy in Ankara. After leaving Türkiye, she said the country “had always been in her heart” and she had continued to follow developments there closely.
Anderson later served as director for consular and crisis operations, coordinating Britain’s assistance efforts in Türkiye following the 2023 earthquakes centred in Kahramanmaras.
UK-Türkiye ties
Assessing bilateral relations, Anderson said ties between Türkiye and the UK were “very strong and becoming even stronger”.
She noted that the two countries had signed a Strategic Partnership Framework in April, followed by a Security and Defence Partnership agreement in July.
“When I first came to Türkiye, our bilateral trade volume was £17 billion ($22.94 billion), but this year it has reached £28.6 billion ($38.59 billion). We are making significant progress,” she said.
Anderson also pointed to an increase in the number of British tourists visiting Türkiye, saying the figure had risen from around 1.7 million in 2020 to 4.4 million this year.
She said negotiations on a new free trade agreement were ongoing, while cooperation was expanding in areas including migration, defence, development, science, technology, innovation and green energy.
“As British ambassador, I am determined to further advance our partnership and friendship,” Anderson said.
She described Türkiye and the UK as two leading NATO allies and said defence cooperation was a key strategic area contributing to economic growth.
Anderson said the Security and Defence Partnership agreement, signed during the NATO summit in Ankara, reflected the two countries’ determination to deepen defence industry cooperation.
UK backs further action
Asked about the decision announced on September 8 by 12 countries, including the UK, France, Norway and Canada, to ban trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, Anderson said Britain was taking a new approach.
“The UK is now changing its approach. There has been unimaginable suffering in Gaza and the West Bank, and this cannot continue,” she said.
“The UK will not remain silent while more suffering continues. The full implementation of a two-state solution is a fundamental policy of the British government. We have decided to take action on this.”
Referring to comments by British Prime Minister Andy Burnham that insufficient steps had so far been taken in response to the situation in Palestine, Anderson said she welcomed statements by Türkiye’s foreign ministry and the Group of Eight.
“As the Foreign Ministry has said, we want to continue working together with countries in the region,” she said.
Asked whether the UK would take further measures to support a two-state solution and prevent Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, Anderson said the new measures had been announced for that purpose.
“Yes. These new measures were announced precisely to support a two-state solution and prevent illegal settlements in the West Bank,” she said.
“We will continue to assess the Israeli government based on its actions. It is very clear that we expect a new approach from Israel, both in Gaza and the West Bank.”
