He was born in London and raised in Johannesburg, where he was trained by The Star newspaper in the days of apartheid. While traveling the world, he got waylaid in the Middle East, working on a kibbutz in Israel and for AP in Cairo for 10 years. He married a Turkish woman and settled in Ankara in 2007, becoming the English correspondent for France24 TV in Turkey. He is saddened by Turkey’s drift towards dictatorship but, having seen South Africa come right, he believes Turkey can revive as well. He is also optimistic about Cyprus, where people of goodwill are trying to effect a general change of heart.