In this episode we have had a special guest. Retired Ambassador Selim Kuneralp served in the Turkish foreign ministry for more than 40 years at various high-level positions and in this episode he answered our questions regarding the latest developments in the Cyprus problem, regional & global politics and shared his personal assessments on the relevant topics.
It was a real pleasure to host such a refined diplomat in our podcast and we feel obligated to remind our listeners that, needless to say, Mr.Kuneralp addressed our discussion topics on his personal behalf, and not on behalf of any country or office he held in the past or present. Nicosia Uncut will continue to host various guests in the future in order to enrich the discussion.
Amb (Ret) Selim Kuneralp joined the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a Trainee in November 1973. Served in the United Nations Department of that Ministry until 1976, Second Secretary at the Permanent Mission of Turkey to the United Nations from 1976 to 1978, Second, later First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of Turkey to the United Nations Office in Geneva from 1978 to 1979, First Secretary at the Turkish Embassy in Nicosia (Northern Cyprus) from 1979 to 1981, Head of Section in the Private Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1981 to 1983, Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Turkey to the United Nations Office in Geneva from 1983 to 1986, Counsellor in the GATT Secretariat in Geneva from 1986 to 1993, Head of Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1993 to 1995, Minister-Counsellor and Deputy Permanent Delegate to the European Union from 1995 to 1997, Director-General for the European Union in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1998 to 2000, Ambassador to Sweden from 2000 to 2003, Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (with concurrent accreditation to the DPRK) from 2003 to 2005, Director-General for Policy Planning at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from January 2006 to January 2007. Deputy Undersecretary for Economic and Cultural Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from January 2007 to October 2009. Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of Turkey to the European Union from November 2009 to December 2011, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Turkey to the World Trade Organisation (2012-2014)
Chairman of the Energy Charter Conference from April 2010 to December 2013.
Chairman of the WTO Committee on Trade and the Environment (Special Session) (2012-2014)
Chairman of the Working Party on the Accession of Belarus to the WTO (2012-2014)
Chairman of the Preparatory Committee for and Main Committee I of the WIPO Diplomatic Conference on Visually Impaired Persons (Marrakesh, 2013).
Deputy Secretary-General of the Energy Charter from December 2014 to July 2016.
Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur (France) (2011)