New Ambassador to Turkey announced

Foreign Affairs

Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced the appointment of Zoe Coulson-Sinclair as New Zealand’s next Ambassador to Turkey.

“Aotearoa New Zealand and Turkey’s relationship is one of mutual respect and underpinned by our shared Gallipoli experience,” Nanaia Mahuta said.

“Turkey is also a generous ANZAC Day host and has a history of welcoming New Zealanders to commemorate every year.

“As our next Ambassador, Ms Coulson-Sinclair will play a vital role in strengthening our relationship with Turkey and exploring opportunities to expand our trade and economic interactions,” Nanaia Mahuta said.

Zoe Coulson-Sinclair is a foreign policy and development manager with 20 years’ experience leading teams in diverse environments including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Germany and Japan.

She has recently held leadership roles in the Asia Regional Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as acting Head of Mission in Bogota, and a secondment to the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 Policy Taskforce following the outbreak of the global pandemic.

Ms Coulson-Sinclair will also be accredited to Israel, Jordan and Azerbaijan, and will commence her post in January 2022.