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London Mayor Sadiq Khan swapped the town hall for a dessert counter this week, learning to make the Turkish cheese pastry kunefe at a north London restaurant ahead of a visit to Türkiye next month.
Khan stopped by Antepliler, a Turkish restaurant in the Green Lanes area, where owner Ahmet Murat Ustunsurmeli showed him how to prepare the dessert. Khan then took over at the counter and made a batch himself.
The restaurant has served the cuisine of the southeastern Turkish city of Gaziantep in London since 1993.
Khan served his kunefe to his deputy, Mete Coban, who joked, "I think this should be your new career." London Mayor Sadiq Khan is heading to Türkiye next month, and he’s making it a first.
He will be the first London mayor to make an official visit, representing the city at the U.N. climate conference (COP31) in Antalya before traveling to Istanbul for trade and investment talks.
Khan, who co-chairs the C40 network of global cities, pointed to growing business ties: U.K.-Türkiye trade hit about £28 billion ($36 billion) in 2025, with some 8,000 British companies exporting to Türkiye.
He also noted that Türkiye is projected to become the world’s 12th-largest economy and Europe’s fourth-largest by 2050.
The Mayor also highlighted the role of the Turkish community in London’s economic and cultural life.
Türkiye is the 13th most common country of birth among Londoners, he said, and Turkish communities in boroughs such as Hackney, Enfield and Haringey have helped shape the city’s economy and culture.
"I’m delighted to represent London at COP31 and to keep working to bring more trade and investment to our city," Khan said in a statement about the trip. He said cities have a key role to play in tackling the climate crisis.
In Istanbul, he said, he aims to strengthen trade and investment ties between the two cities and to celebrate the contributions of Londoners of Turkish heritage.
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