Bernard Alexander Brocas Burrows
Encyclopedia
Sir Bernard Alexander Brocas Burrows (3 July 1910 – 7 May 2002) was a British
diplomat.
Burrows studied at Eton College
and Trinity College
in Oxford
. In 1934, after two years spent learning languages in France
, Austria
and Italy
, he entered the Diplomatic Service
. He was posted to Cairo
in 1938 where he served throughout the Second World War and where he met his future wife Ines, the daughter of John Walter, co-proprietor of The Times. They were married in 1944, and the next year he was posted back to London
.
In 1950, Bernard Burrows went to British Embassy in Washington D.C. as the Head of Chancery, at the same time as Guy Burgess
.
He became Political Resident in the Persian Gulf
, based in Bahrain
, in 1953, handling relations with Kuwait
, Bahrain
, Qatar
and the seven Trucial States
. Burrows expressed his disagreement with British foreign policy over Suez
and was frustrated by the inadequate communication from his headquarters (he was never consulted by London about the regional repercussions of the operation), bringing him close to resignation.
When he was appointed British Ambassador to Ankara
, Turkey
(1958-1962), he had never visited the country before and had little previous knowledge of it. He was surprised to find the inauguration of an oil refinery accompanied by the slaughter of a sheep. He quickly fell in love with the culture and the people there. "When we arrived in Turkey from Arabia," writes Sir Bernard in his memoirs, "it felt as if we were coming home." He was on friendly terms with several members of the Turkish government, including the prime minister Adnan Menderes
. In the opinion of many good judges, he was one of the best ambassadors Britain had sent to Turkey. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
visited Ankara as the guest of the Head of State Cemal Gursel
during his term in the Embassy. Burrows established excellent relations with President Gursel who later helped obtain permission for British military aircraft to overfly Turkey on their way to support Kuwait. When government and public opinion in Britain reacted sharply against the execution of Menderes despite his efforts for the contrary and pleas of forgiveness to the ruling military[National Unity Committee by the Queen, President John F. Kennedy
, Gursel and Inonu
, Sir Bernard worked hard to prevent a diplomatic rupture between the two countries. Ankara hinted to him that his personal popularity had possibly prevented a recall of ambassadors. "It was lucky that an ethical foreign policy had not yet been invented," he wrote in his autobiography.
Bernard Burrows retained a strong attachment to Turkey, supporting its closer integration into Europe and its membership of the European Union
as its persuasive advocate over 40 years. Listing the delay in bringing Turkey closer into the EU as one of his main disappointments, he once wrote : "Turks have been notoriously bad at lobbying for themselves, and myths of the 'terrible Turk', whether or not realistically based, continue to be perpetuated through Byron, Lawrence of Arabia, and [the film] Midnight Express
". He served as the chairman of the British Institute of Archaeology in Ankara, chairman of the Anglo-Turkish Society in London. He was immensely popular with the Turks, and when his wife died in 1997, trees were planted in the central Kugulu (Swans) Park in Ankara to honour the couple.
Following his service in London as the Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, the last position in his career was British Ambassador to NATO and Permanent Representative on the NATO Council in Brussels
, working on the Euro-Group and chairing the Nuclear Planning Group. Sir Bernard Burrows retired from the government service as the number two in the Foreign Office in 1970, but still remained active as the chairman of the Federal Trust for Education and Research, local Citizens Advice Bureau, chairman of the Horticultural Society of East Dean and delivering meals-on-wheels until he was 90. He possessed intellectual curiosity, fuelled by hostility towards the church, established religion and lecturing priests. This led him to pursue a humanist
approach in a quest for the causes of conflict and ways to prevent it; religion, after all, had been the source of so much bloodshed throughout history. This also led Burrows to explore the paranormal
, and apparently unexplained phenomena. At the time of his death, he was working on a book, Progress, in which he proposed to question conventional views and presumptions about the development of the human condition.
In 1965, he was described in Anthony Sampson
's Anatomy Of Britain as "one of the five most powerful people in Whitehall".
Burrows published his memoirs in Diplomat in a Changing World (2001). He also authored The Security of Western Europe (With C Irwin 1972), Devolution or Federalism (with G Edwards 1980), The Defence of Western Europe (1982), and a history of the Gulf region, Footnotes in the Sand (1990). He also advised on the political scenario for General Sir John Hackett's bestseller, The Third World War (1982). In 2001, he published A Myth for Our Time, examining the origins of the universe from a humanist perspective.
Sir Bernard Burrows was appointed Knight Commander
of St. Michael and St. George
(KCMG) in 1955 and the Grand Cross
(GCMG) in 1970.
He is survived by a daughter and a son.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
diplomat.
Burrows studied at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Trinity College
Trinity College, Oxford
The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...
in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. In 1934, after two years spent learning languages in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, he entered the Diplomatic Service
Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service
Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service is the diplomatic service of the United Kingdom, dealing with foreign affairs, as opposed to the Home Civil Service, which deals with domestic affairs...
. He was posted to Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
in 1938 where he served throughout the Second World War and where he met his future wife Ines, the daughter of John Walter, co-proprietor of The Times. They were married in 1944, and the next year he was posted back to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
In 1950, Bernard Burrows went to British Embassy in Washington D.C. as the Head of Chancery, at the same time as Guy Burgess
Guy Burgess
Guy Francis De Moncy Burgess was a British-born intelligence officer and double agent, who worked for the Soviet Union. He was part of the Cambridge Five spy ring that betrayed Western secrets to the Soviets before and during the Cold War...
.
He became Political Resident in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
, based in Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
, in 1953, handling relations with Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
, Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
, Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
and the seven Trucial States
Trucial States
The Trucial States were a group of sheikhdoms in the Persian Gulf.-General aspects:The sheikdoms included:*Abu Dhabi *Ajman...
. Burrows expressed his disagreement with British foreign policy over Suez
Suez
Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
and was frustrated by the inadequate communication from his headquarters (he was never consulted by London about the regional repercussions of the operation), bringing him close to resignation.
When he was appointed British Ambassador to Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
(1958-1962), he had never visited the country before and had little previous knowledge of it. He was surprised to find the inauguration of an oil refinery accompanied by the slaughter of a sheep. He quickly fell in love with the culture and the people there. "When we arrived in Turkey from Arabia," writes Sir Bernard in his memoirs, "it felt as if we were coming home." He was on friendly terms with several members of the Turkish government, including the prime minister Adnan Menderes
Adnan Menderes
Adnan Menderes was the first democratically elected Turkish Prime Minister between 1950–1960. He was one of the founders of the Democratic Party in 1946, the fourth legal opposition party of Turkey. He was hanged by the military junta after the 1960 coup d'état, along with two other cabinet...
. In the opinion of many good judges, he was one of the best ambassadors Britain had sent to Turkey. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
visited Ankara as the guest of the Head of State Cemal Gursel
Cemal Gürsel
Cemal Gürsel , was a Turkish army officer, and the fourth President of Turkey.- Early life :He was born in the city of Erzurum to the Turkish parents as the son of an Ottoman Army officer, Abidin Bey, the grandson of Ibrahim and the great-grandson of Haci Ahmad...
during his term in the Embassy. Burrows established excellent relations with President Gursel who later helped obtain permission for British military aircraft to overfly Turkey on their way to support Kuwait. When government and public opinion in Britain reacted sharply against the execution of Menderes despite his efforts for the contrary and pleas of forgiveness to the ruling military[National Unity Committee by the Queen, President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, Gursel and Inonu
Inonu
-Person:* Erdal İnönü was a Turkish physicist and politician.* İsmet İnönü was a Turkish soldier, statesman and the second President of Turkey.-Districts and towns:* İnönü, Eskişehir a town and district in Eskişehir Province....
, Sir Bernard worked hard to prevent a diplomatic rupture between the two countries. Ankara hinted to him that his personal popularity had possibly prevented a recall of ambassadors. "It was lucky that an ethical foreign policy had not yet been invented," he wrote in his autobiography.
Bernard Burrows retained a strong attachment to Turkey, supporting its closer integration into Europe and its membership of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
as its persuasive advocate over 40 years. Listing the delay in bringing Turkey closer into the EU as one of his main disappointments, he once wrote : "Turks have been notoriously bad at lobbying for themselves, and myths of the 'terrible Turk', whether or not realistically based, continue to be perpetuated through Byron, Lawrence of Arabia, and [the film] Midnight Express
Midnight Express (film)
Released on October 6, 1978, the soundtrack to Midnight Express was composed by Italian synth-pioneer Giorgio Moroder. The score won the Academy Award for Best Original Score of 1978.Side A:#Chase – Giorgio Moroder...
". He served as the chairman of the British Institute of Archaeology in Ankara, chairman of the Anglo-Turkish Society in London. He was immensely popular with the Turks, and when his wife died in 1997, trees were planted in the central Kugulu (Swans) Park in Ankara to honour the couple.
Following his service in London as the Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, the last position in his career was British Ambassador to NATO and Permanent Representative on the NATO Council in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, working on the Euro-Group and chairing the Nuclear Planning Group. Sir Bernard Burrows retired from the government service as the number two in the Foreign Office in 1970, but still remained active as the chairman of the Federal Trust for Education and Research, local Citizens Advice Bureau, chairman of the Horticultural Society of East Dean and delivering meals-on-wheels until he was 90. He possessed intellectual curiosity, fuelled by hostility towards the church, established religion and lecturing priests. This led him to pursue a humanist
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
approach in a quest for the causes of conflict and ways to prevent it; religion, after all, had been the source of so much bloodshed throughout history. This also led Burrows to explore the paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
, and apparently unexplained phenomena. At the time of his death, he was working on a book, Progress, in which he proposed to question conventional views and presumptions about the development of the human condition.
In 1965, he was described in Anthony Sampson
Anthony Sampson
Anthony Terrell Seward Sampson was a British writer and journalist. He was educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford and served with the Royal Navy from 1944-47. During the 1950s he edited the magazine Drum in Johannesburg, South Africa...
's Anatomy Of Britain as "one of the five most powerful people in Whitehall".
Burrows published his memoirs in Diplomat in a Changing World (2001). He also authored The Security of Western Europe (With C Irwin 1972), Devolution or Federalism (with G Edwards 1980), The Defence of Western Europe (1982), and a history of the Gulf region, Footnotes in the Sand (1990). He also advised on the political scenario for General Sir John Hackett's bestseller, The Third World War (1982). In 2001, he published A Myth for Our Time, examining the origins of the universe from a humanist perspective.
Sir Bernard Burrows was appointed Knight Commander
Knight Commander
Knight Commander is the second most senior grade of seven British orders of chivalry, three of which are dormant . The rank entails admission into knighthood, allowing the recipient to use the title 'Sir' or 'Dame' before his or her name...
of St. Michael and St. George
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(KCMG) in 1955 and the Grand Cross
Grand Cross
The phrase Grand Cross is used to denote the highest grade in many orders of knighthood. Sometimes the holders of the highest grade are referred to "knights grand cross" or just "grand crosses"; in other cases the actual insignia itself is called "the grand cross".Alternatively, in some other...
(GCMG) in 1970.
He is survived by a daughter and a son.