Turkey–United Kingdom relations

Turkish–British relations are foreign relations between the Republic of Turkey and the United Kingdom. Relations between Britain and Turkey go right back to the early 16^th century, when the first strong contacts between the two countries developed as trading interests in Britain sought new market outlets in the East. The two nations have been at war several times before including the First World War. Both countries maintain relations via the British Embassy in Ankara [ [http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1053446559682 "Welcome to the British Embassy Turkey"] "britishembassy.gov.uk" Link accessed 29/05/08] and the Turkish Embassy in London [ [http://turkey.embassyhomepage.com/ "Welcome to Turkey"] "turkey.embassyhomepage.com" Link accessed 29/05/08] . Turkey and the United Kingdom maintain strong bilateral relations. [ [http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1053446569273 "Bilateral Relations"] "britishembassy.gov.uk" Link accessed 29/05/08]

Mandate of Palestine

The Ottoman Empire, of which Palestine was apart, broke up shortly after the First World War and was officially dissolved in 1923. Palestine was previously a part of the Ottoman Empire. After the British had promised the local Arabs, through Lawrence of Arabia, independence for a united Arab country covering most of the Arab Middle East, in exchange for their supporting the British; and Britain had promised to create and foster a Jewish national home as laid out in the Balfour Declaration, 1917. The British had, in the Hussein-McMahon Correspondence, previously promised the Hashemite family lordship over most land in the region in return for their support in the Great Arab Revolt during World War I. The British, under General Allenby during the Arab Revolt stirred up by the British intelligence officer T. E. Lawrence, defeated the Ottoman forces in 1917 and occupied Palestine and Syria. The land was administered by the British for the remainder of the war.

The United Kingdom was granted control of Palestine by the Versailles Peace Conference which established the League of Nations in 1919 and appointed Herbert Samuel, a former Postmaster General in the British cabinet, who was instrumental in drafting the Balfour Declaration, as its first High Commissioner in Palestine. In 1920 at the Conference of Sanremo, Italy, the League of Nations mandate over Palestine was assigned to Britain. In 1923 Britain transferred a part of the Golan Heights to the French Mandate of Syria, in exchange for the Metula region.

TRNC - Cyprus

The United Kingdom, of which The island of Cyrpus was once apart, maintains two sovereign area military bases on the island of Cyprus. Turkey invaded the Northern part of the Island in 1974 for preventing Enosis. In 1983, Turkish Cypriots declared the independent Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The United Kingdom does not recognise the TRNC. The TRNC is only recongised by Turkey. The UK is also a signatory to a treaty with Greece and Turkey concerning the independence of Cyprus, the Treaty of Guarantee, which maintains that Britain is a "guarantor power" of the island's independence. [http://www.sba.mod.uk/ dn]

Trade

The United Kingdom is the second biggest importer of goods from Turkey, after Germany. Turkey exports around 8% of its total goods to the United Kingdom. [ [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tu.html#Econ "World Fact Book - Turkey"] "cia.gov" Link accessed 29/05/08] Around 1,000,000 Britons take holidays in Turkey every year, while 100,000 Turks travel to the UK for business or pleasure. [ [http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1053446563612 "The UK and Turkey"] "britishembassy.gov.uk" Link accessed 29/05/08]

Accession of Turkey to the European Union

The United Kingdom is a key supporter for Turkey's EU membership bid. According to Carl Bildt, Swedish foreign minister, " [The accession of Turkey] would give the EU a decisive role for stability in the eastern part of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, which is clearly in the strategic interest of Europe."cite news|last=Ekman|first=Ivar|title=Top Swedish official backs Turkey for EU|publisher=International Herald Tribune|date=2006-12-11|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/12/11/news/sweden.php|accessdate=2007-07-03] In May 2008, Queen Elizabeth II said during a visit to Turkey, that "Turkey is uniquely positioned as a bridge between the East and West at a crucial time for the European Union and the world in general." [cite web|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/turkey/8927125.asp
work=Hurriyet
accessdate=2008-07-13
title=Britain's Queen Elizabeth's visit to Turkey continues
date=2008-05-15]

See also

* Foreign relations of Turkey
* Foreign relations of the United Kingdom

References

External links

* [http://www.mfa.gov.tr/turkey_s-political-relations-with-the-united-kingdom.en.mfa Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with the United Kingdom]
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