Britain's ambassador to the United States, Christian Turner, said that America's only special relationship is "probably Israel" — not Britain. The British newspaper Financial Times reported that the ambassador made the comments in February at an event with British students visiting Washington. It was also reported that in his remarks to the students, Turner said he does not like the phrase "special relationship" to describe ties between Britain and the U.S., and claimed that the relationship between the countries is "nostalgic" and "backward-looking." The British Foreign Office did not deny the remarks but stressed they do not reflect the government's position.