Events

  • Oct 2, 2023: CFT fringe event at the Party Conference – panel discussion: “Winning the Next General Election: The Crucial Role of Communities”

  • Mar 13, 2023: CFT holds event to bring together business and community leaders prominent in the earthquake relief effort, featuring a presentation by the Turkey Mozaik Foundation

  • Oct 4, 2022: CFT holds reception at the Party Conference discussing UK-Turkey trade, with Rt Hon Conor Burns MP, Minister for Trade Policy at the Department for International Trade and HE Turkish Ambassador Umit Yalcin

  • May 2022: CFT volunteers actively contribute to local elections campaigns across London

  • 3 May, 2021: CFT campaigns with Shaun Bailey in north London, visits small businesses on Green Lanes

Bailey visiting Turkish restaurants on Green Lanes

  • Feb 15, 2021: CFT hosts virtual roundtable, London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey meets Turkish community

Bailey with directors of various Turkish associations in the UK

  • Sep 29 – Oct 2, 2019: CFT hosts exhibition stand at the Party Conference in Manchester

Dr Ali Demirbag, David Burrowes, Ertan Hurer, Neva Sadikoglu-Novaky, Joanne Laban

  • Oct 25, 2018: CFT organises a dinner with guest speakers Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP, Secretary of State of Housing, Communities and Local Government and His Excellency, Ümit Yalçın Ambassador for the Republic of Turkey

    CFT team, Secretary of State Brokenshire, HE Turkish Ambassador Yalcin

  • Oct 1, 2017: CFT holds reception at the Party Conference in Manchester. Speakers Lord Balfe of Dulwich and H.E. Turkish Ambassador Abdurrahman Bilgic discussed the future of economic and political relations between the UK and Turkey after Brexit

Lord Balfe of Dulwich, Secretary, All-Party Parliamentary Group for Turkey

  • Oct 2, 2016: CFT has a fringe event at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham: “UK-Turkey Business Relations: Building Stronger Ties Post-Brexit”, with David Burrowes MP (Enfield Southgate), Nick de Bois (former MP, Enfield North), parliamentary candidates Gonul Daniels and Isabel Sigmac on the panel

David Burrowes MP, Nick de Bois, Gonul Daniels and Isabel Sigmac

  • April 23, 2016: Conservative Friends Groups join forces for a major Action Day for Zac Goldsmith during the London mayoral election campaign

CFT and many other Friends groups with Lord Popat and Rt Hon Mark Field MP

  • May 7, 2015: We had 2 brilliant parliamentary candidates in the 2015 General Elections, Gonul Daniels for Edmonton and Isabel Sigmac for Birmingham Ladywood. Their strong campaigns were supported by CFT and the wider Turkish community at every stage.

Isabel Sigmac with Rt Hon Michael Gove MP

Gonul Daniels with Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP

  • Sept 30, 2013: Business and Energy Minister Rt Hon Michael Fallon MP, Chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee Richard Ottaway MP, Kurdistan Regional Government Natural Resources Minister Ashti Hawrami, AK Party’s VP of Foreign Affairs (now Minister) Akif Cagatay Kilic were joined by 100+ delegates at CFT’s Business Reception at the Party Conference.

Business and Energy Minister Rt Hon Michael Fallon MP

  • Oct 7-10, 2012: CFT hosts exhibition stand, signs many new members at the Party Conference in Birmingham.

Dr Cetin, Cllr Hurer, Conservative Party co-Chairs Lord Feldman and Grant Shapps MP, and Ambassador Cevikoz

  • July 11, 2012: CFT and Conservative Friends of Poland jointly host a Summer Reception with the themes of community engagement and ways to increase political participation, with guest speaker Greg Hands MP.

Rt Hon Greg Hands MP, Minister of State, Department for International Trade

  • Oct 3, 2011: CFT hosts fringe event at the Party Conference in Manchester – “Turkey-UK Strategic Partnership in a Changing World”, with Europe Minister Rt Hon David Lidington MP, HE Turkish Ambassador Unal Cevikoz and Dr Gulnur Aybet, University of Kent.

Europe Minister Rt Hon David Lidington MP, Ambassador Cevikoz, Dr Aybet

  • May 10, 2011: CFT and the Young Conservative Europe Group (YCEG) hold a panel to discuss the developments in British & European cooperation with Turkey. Panellists were John Peet, Europe Editor of the Economist, Maurice Fraser, Senior Fellow in European Politics at the LSE and Richard Balfe, former MEP.

John Peet, Richard Balfe, Maurice Frase

  • Oct 3-6, 2010: CFT hosts exhibition stand at the Party Conference in Birmingham.
  • Jan 27, 2010: CFT and the European Azerbaijan Society hold roundtable with Azerbaijani Energy Minister Natiq Aliyev, Rt Hon Lord Howell of Guildford, energy experts and investors.

Dr Guntekin Koksal, Lord Howell, Minister Aliyev

  • Nov 30, 2009: CFT and Conservative Friends of Israel jointly organise a panel on Turkish-Israeli relations at the House of Commons, with HE Turkish Ambassador Alpogan, HE Israeli Ambassador Prosor, Shadow Foreign Minister Keith Simpson MP and Chairman of the Defence Select Committee Rt Hon James Arbuthnot MP

Amb. Prosor, Amb. Alpogan, James Arbuthnot MP, Keith Simpson MP

  • Oct 5-8, 2009: CFT hosts exhibition stand, holds fringe meeting with Conservative Friends of Poland, signs 150 members at crucial Conservative Party Conference.
  • Aug 28, 2009: CFT members join Rt Hon William Hague MP, Baroness Warsi, Lord Ashcroft and Tobias Ellwood MP for a Social Action project in Srebrenica (Bosnia and Herzegovina).
  • June 23, 2009: CFT and Westminster North Conservative Association host drinks reception; Shadow Defence Minister Dr Liam Fox MP and Westminster North parliamentary candidate Joanne Cash give speeches

Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP, Secretary of State for International Trade

  • March 9, 2009: Cities of London and Westminster Conservative Association and CFT jointly host Turkish dinner; former ambassador to Iraq Sir Harold Walker, Turkish Embassy Minister Counsellor Atilay Ersan and CFT Istanbul representative Dr Riza Kadilar give speeches.
  • Jan 7, 2009: CFT Brussels is officially launched with a seminar and reception at the European Parliament; Geoffrey van Orden MBE MEP, Daniel Hannan MEP and Turkish MPs Murat Mercan, Umut Oran take part in the panel

Dan Hannan MEP, Murat Mercan MP (AKP), Geoffrey van Orden MEP, Umut Oran MP (CHP)

  • Oct 28, 2008: Conservative Friends of Turkey is officially launched; Shadow Foreign Secretary Rt Hon William Hague MP, Vice Chairman of the Party Richard Spring MP, Shadow Minister for Europe Mark Francois MP and Shadow Minister for Community Cohesion Baroness Sayeeda Warsi give speeches, 150 guests attend the cocktail reception.

Rt Hon William Hague MP at the CFT Launch Reception

  • Oct 7, 2008: Conservative Friends of Turkey attends Party Conference, signs 150 members, parliamentary group now 20-strong.
  • June 17, 2008: Conservative Friends of Turkey hosts pre-launch cocktail; David Burrowes MP, Shadow Home Secretary Dominic Grieve MP and Fadi Hakura of Chatham House give speeches.