Merhaba this is Sertan from Turkey. I will be attending the conference with my long-time friend/colleague/collaborator Deniz who is about to move to settle in Norwich to work as a freelancer. We were told by the organisers that, so far, we have been the only delegates from Turkey for this conference. This is somewhat surprising since I have met and heard many Turkish translators in the UK and in Turkey who are active in the business and do everything they can to attend such events. This is also exciting as I hope the delegates will be introduced to the Turkish side of translation business through us as much as we learn about the business in other countries through them.

A little about myself: I have been in the translation business since 2004 when I established my company Pilot Translation and Conference Interpreting. I studied translation at the Department of English Translation and Interpreting in Hacettepe University, Ankara. Then I did my master in International Trade and Finance Department for a change, which I think contributed much to my outlook to translation business.

I’ve had a mysterious admiration for foreign languages since I was in the secondary school. At the high school I was determined to be a translator and finally I achieved my goal, and as soon as I graduated I started up my own business only to learn that it was no easy job to do in Turkey in a non-standard, unprincipled and ungoverned society of translation offices. Nevertheless, I truly loved the profession itself and have been trying to find new ways to flourish and express myself and expand my horizon towards the western culture and sincerely believe that UK is the motherland of this profession for me.

Outside of work, I have a few hobbies as well. Life is already sedentary enough for us translators considering the amount of time we spend in front of our computers. This is why I am trying to be as active as possible when I am not working. I exercise a lot. I am an avid yet amateur snowboarder, and I run. I am planning to attend the Wings for Life World Run to be held on May 3, 2015 in Silverstone following the conference. Oh and, if anyone is interested to jog with me during our time in Newcastle, please join me (sceylan@pilotceviri.com).

I am very excited to have the opportunity to attend the ITI conference and looking forward to being there, meeting new translators, attending intriguing sessions, and seeing around the beautiful Newcastle. And I would like to add that it’s a shame for me not to be aware of such an institution and conference for years. Better late than never, I guess. Hope to meet you there soon!