This month I will be leaving my post of Director Operations for the British Council in Turkey, to take up a new post for the British Council in Japan.  It will not be easy to leave!

I have been lucky to enjoy the warm hospitality of Turkey for four fascinating years. One of the joys and challenges of working in Turkey has been learning the intricacies of the Turkish language. Many people here have told me that Turkish grammar is similar to Japanese, so I am looking forward to putting that theory to the test!

More broadly, I look back on four very busy years, years of almost continuous change, both in the world outside and within the British Council. Despite all those changes, I believe that our work in Turkey remains as focused on building a better cultural relationship – in the fields of the arts, English, education and society – in the same way as it has been for over 70 years. The building of partnerships and strong relationships and the creation of further trust between our two countries, remain our priority.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our partners for the great support you have shown for our work during the last four years. All of our work is carried out in partnership, and your support has been a key factor in the success of our work in recent times.  I would also like to pay tribute to the immense hard work and skill of my colleagues in Turkey. It really has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with you all!

Last but not least, I would also like to introduce my successor, Mrs Margaret Jack, who has taken up the post of Director Turkey, based in Ankara, from 1st August 2011. Margaret worked in Turkey from 1979-1985 and has retained close personal association with the country.  I know that she is looking forward to returning to Turkey and working with you all.

With Best Wishes

Jeff Streeter
Former Director of Operations, Turkey