Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna
Part of UK in Turkey
27th January 2014
How to train the best soldiers – and leaders
Talking to a highly-trained and brilliant audience is always a challenge.
So I am not surprised when, after my talk about developments in Turkey and economic opportunities, a forest of hands goes up. Most of the questions demonstrate a strong grip of political and economic as well as military issues. Any inconsistencies within my presentation are mercilessly exposed.
I’m talking to a large group of British and international military officers who are visiting Istanbul as part of the UK’s Advanced Command & Staff Course. This is a key training course for senior military officers with the potential for high rank from all over the world. This year, the course includes 86 students from 51 countries ranging from Afghanistan to Yemen, with students from the Turkish Army and Air Force.
The audience in Istanbul includes officers from Vietnam, Sweden, Malawi, Oman and Canada and other countries. The Turkish students, who don’t need to find out more about Turkey, went to Finland and Georgia.
The course is run by the UK’s Defence Academy, one of the best training institutions in the world. The course visited Istanbul in late January.
I am always impressed by military officers who have attended elite training institutions – whether in the UK, in Turkey, or elsewhere (in previous postings I have met impressive serving officers from eg Austria, Germany, Malaysia, Russia, Ukraine and the US). At the UK Defence Academy, officers learn not only about military matters such as campaign planning, but also about the geo-political context into which military operations fit. They also learn about the UK’s ethos of a clear separation of military and political power – one reason why the UK military has a good record of keeping out of politics.
The UK also works closely with Turkey, as a valued NATO partner, on a range of military training and exercises. Recent examples include co-operation between the Royal Navy and the Turkish Navy; deployment of Royal Air Force aircraft in joint exercises; and exchanges of officers in both directions for training courses in the UK and in Turkey.
As always, it was a delight to talk to the visiting military students here in Istanbul and to get a sense of the impressive depth of their knowledge. I look forward to their next visit.