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Britain is changing course on its approach to Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories and will no longer stay silent as the humanitarian toll in Gaza and the West Bank continues, the U.K.'s new ambassador to Ankara said.
Jennifer Elizabeth Anderson made the remarks after Britain and 11 other countries announced on Sept. 8 that they would ban trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
"There has been unimaginable suffering in Gaza and the West Bank, and this cannot continue," Anderson told Anadolu Agency in a fresh interview after taking her seat. "The United Kingdom will not remain silent while more suffering takes place."
Anderson welcomed statements from Türkiye's Foreign Ministry and the Group of Eight, while also referring to British Prime Minister Andy Burnham's criticism that sufficient steps had not been taken over events in Palestine.
Asked whether London would step up measures aimed at supporting a two-state solution and blocking Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, Anderson pointed to the new restrictions announced Sept. 8.
"The full implementation of a two-state solution is a fundamental policy of the British government. We have decided to take action on this," Anderson said. "These new measures have been announced precisely to support the two-state solution and prevent illegal settlements in the West Bank."
Britain will continue to judge the Israeli government by its actions, Anderson added, making clear that London expects a change in Israel's approach in both Gaza and the West Bank. "We expect a new approach from Israel in both Gaza and the West Bank," she added.
Anderson described UK-Türkiye relations as strong and continuing to grow, pointing to the Strategic Partnership Framework Document signed in April and the Security and Defense Partnership Document signed in July, which she said further deepened the countries’ partnership.
She highlighted that negotiations on a new free trade agreement are ongoing, while cooperation is also expanding across migration, defense, development, science, technology, innovation, and the transition to green energy. Anderson also pointed to the broader growth in bilateral ties as evidence of the increasingly close partnership between the two NATO allies.
"Cooperation is continuously deepening and expanding across all areas," Anderson said. "As the British ambassador, I am determined to take our partnership and friendship even further."
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