PROFILE
The bridge between Europe and Asia
This is how my homeland of Turkey is often described.
Funnily enough, this is almost how I’d describe my life and work as a professional English-to-Turkish translator. Working between English and Turkish, it is my job, too, to bridge the gap of culture and understanding.
Indeed, I’m forever crossing that gap – not just metaphorically, but physically, too, in the form of regular stays of a month or more back in my old hometown of Istanbul. Doing this ensures I stay in touch with the Turkish language and culture, as well as developments in Turkey, while still working and living an active life in the UK.
What my clients say
“Serli is a fantastic translator. She has an eye for detail, she is fast and extremely reliable. We had some fairly urgent projects and we could always depend on her. She is thorough and professional. On top of that, she is a lovely person and it’s always a pleasure to work with her.”
“Serli assisted me throughout 2015 on a major project creating and translating content for a multilingual website for a global label finishing equipment manufacturer. I was impressed and reassured by her professional approach and her genuine concern for getting everything perfect and delivered on time. Content was both of a technical and marketing nature. All I can say today is that if Serli is handling your localisation into Turkish, you can relax and be confident about getting excellent service and value for money. I have no doubts!”
“Reliable, punctual, accurate, well organized and smart. She immediately understood what I needed. I definitely will work with her again.”
“Serli helped us complete a large project in a very short time. She was incredibly helpful and professional and we’re very much looking forward to working with her again soon.”
“Since the beginning of our collaboration, she consistently produced high quality work in a timely fashion. I give her my highest recommendation.”
One of a kind
With my home and office in England, in-laws in Italy and family in Turkey, I have strong links to the cultures and languages I work with.
This ongoing contact with these cultures has allowed me to hone and maintain my ability to translate English and Italian words, concepts, ideas and cultural specificities in a way that remains highly relevant and attractive to a Turkish audience. My words will resonate with readers, ensuring greater success in Turkey.
Back to my roots
Growing up in a multilingual family where both Armenian and Turkish were spoken in the home, I developed a natural love of languages. Taking a BA in Italian Language and Literature was the natural next step – and modules in translation first sparked my interest in the field. That is when I took my first dive into professional translation, working part-time at an established translation agency in Istanbul.
Upon graduation, I transitioned to become a full-time in-house English-to-Turkish translator and project manager. I also provided IT support and training in technical skills to my colleagues.
It was here I developed my specialisation in translating legal, technical and marketing texts into Turkish. In response to a budding need within the company, I also helped the company to modernise its software systems and trained my colleagues and supervisors on their use.
In 2013, I passed my Diploma in Translation with the British Chartered Institute of Linguists in advance of my relocation to the UK. I now provide my translation services to clients just as before, except now I’ve exchanged the backdrop of Istanbul’s Blue Mosque for the decidedly more British Canterbury Cathedral.
Memberships
