British Council marks 75th year in Turkey with continued interest

Celebrating its 75th year in Turkey, the British Council continues to see huge potential in the country and aims to establish deeper ties and collaborations between Turkey and the U.K., thus reaching out to more and more people.

"Turkey is among the 10 most important operations out of 100 globally for the British Council because of the opportunities that are available and open to us, and the benefits both of the countries get," British Council Turkey Director Margaret Jack told Hürriyet Daily News, as she spoke on a number of programs which aimed to boost relations and understanding between the two countries.

"We certainly want to do more here. We see a huge potential and opportunity and interest in Turkey and vice versa in the U.K.," she added. 

Jack said they had just been involved in launching a five-year bilateral large-scale university partnership program in science and technology with Turkey called the Newton-Katip Çelebi program, adding the results were going to benefit social development, as the focus areas of the program were water, sustainability and green technologies. 

Jack also said they had specifically brought the world premiere of an exhibition by Turner prize-winning artist Grayson Perry to Istanbul because the artist's works were a strong statement about Istanbul's position as a global hub in the contemporary arts world. 

"The medium in which he works - textile and ceramic - is so fundamental to Turkey's own artisanal traditions. He has huge respect for artisan, workmanship and craft so I thought that has a very strong echo and strong resonance with Turkey," Jack added. 

Turkey among initial British Council countries

With roots in the mid-1930s and formally established in 1940,...