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Member since Jan '08

Working languages:
English to Turkish
French to Turkish
Turkish to English
French to English
English to French

Basak Balkan
5 years' experience in European Affairs

Nivelles, Brabant Wallon, Belgium
Local time: 13:58 CET (GMT+1)

Native in: Turkish Native in Turkish, English Native in English

Account type Freelancer, Identity Verified Verified member
Services Translation, Interpreting, Editing/proofreading, Subtitling, Post-editing, Transcription
Expertise
Specializes in:
International Org/Dev/CoopMilitary / Defense
Law (general)Medical (general)
JournalismHistory
Certificates, Diplomas, Licenses, CVsPoetry & Literature
Cinema, Film, TV, DramaAdvertising / Public Relations

Preferred currency EUR
KudoZ activity (PRO) PRO-level points: 8, Questions answered: 9, Questions asked: 4
Project History 1 projects entered

Payment method accepted Wire transfer
Portfolio Sample translations submitted: 9
Experience Years of translation experience: 5. Registered at ProZ.com: Dec 2007. Became a member: Jan 2008.
ProZ.com Certified PRO certificate(s) N/A
Credentials Turkish to French (Belgian Courts)
Turkish to English (Cambridge University (ESOL Examinations))
French to English (Cambridge University (ESOL Examinations))
French to Turkish (Belgian Courts)
English to Turkish (Cambridge University (ESOL Examinations))
Memberships N/A
Software Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Frontpage, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, SDL TRADOS
CV/Resume Turkish (PDF), French (PDF), English (PDF)
Professional practices Basak Balkan endorses ProZ.com's Professional Guidelines (v1.0).
About me
I am a Turkish - English-French translator and interpreter.

Turkish is my mother tongue. I attended primary school and high school in Ankara and a year of Translation and Interpretation at Hacettepe University in Turkey. My English is at native-speaker level, as this is the language I learnt first, when I was four. I have never stopped speaking, writing and reading in English. I attended an American university in Brussels (BA in International relations and History) and worked for a British Member of the European Parliament. I have passed the Cambridge Proficiency in English Exam with "Exceptional" results.

I learnt French at the age of eleven, when I moved to Belgium and attended a Belgian school. I have lived in Belgium for a total of 19 years now and my French is fluent. I have been sworn-in as a translator/interpreter by the Tribunals of First Instance of Brussels and Namur.

My main experience is in European affairs (especially external relations, enlargement, development, security and defense, human rights, women's rights, energy and the environment) and international politics. I have also gained experience in translating legal, medical, and pharmaceutical texts thanks to several agencies who have trusted me despite my lack of expertise in these areas. Moreover, I have translated texts on Ottoman textiles and archaeology, as well as technical texts on laser engraving and motor oils. This diversity in subjects is part of why it's fun to be a translator!


I have been translating EU documents since 2002. Conducting daily translations (for MEPs and the Turkish Representation to the EU) was a great part of my duties while I worked within the European Parliament. These translations had to be correct, at the risk of creating political crises, and they had to be done quickly. Thus, amongst my principles as a translator are accuracy in words and in context, confidentiality and punctuality. I have never missed a deadline, and have consistently received positive feedback from my clients, many of whom have become regulars.

Keywords: European Union, enlargement, political, government, development, defence, religious, simultaneous interpretation, art, music, history, cooking, questionnaire, medical, avrupa birligi, genisleme, simültane tercüman, anadili türkçe, kalite, hiz, uluslararasi iliskiler, uluslararasi kurumlar, uluslararasi hukuk, dis politika, diplomasi, disisleri, insan haklari, kadin haklari, sürdürülebilir gelisme, web sitesi tercümanligi, müzakere, hükümet, savunma, sanat, müzik, tarih, felsefe, tibbî, yemek, turizm, seyahat, gouvernment, art, histoire, philosophie, fiction, élargissement, politique, développement, professional translator, conference interpreter, proofreader, french, native english, quality, excellence, international relations, international organisations, international law, EU law, international economics, foreign policy, international diplomacy, cooperation, developing countries, human rights, womens' rights, sustainable development, website translation, document translation, tourism, travel, traducteur professionnel, interprète de conférence, qualité, excellence, relations internationales, organisations internationales, loi internationale, union européenne, économie internationale, politique etrangère, gouvernement, économie, coopération, pays en voie de développement, droits humains, droits de la femme, développement, développement durable, médical, histoire, art, musique, philosophie, cuisiner, voyage, tourisme,


Profile last updated
Sep 29, 2011