Say Yes, Autumn 2007: Editorial

This is the last editorial which I will be writing for ‘Say Yes’ before leaving Turkey to take up my new post in Romania. In an interview on the following pages, I have tried to make some observations on the situation of women and children and the work of UNICEF in Turkey over the past six years. Here, I can only add that it has been a great pleasure to work in a country with such a great history and culture. I am confident that the country will keep moving forward, and that Turkey will gain its rightful place in the European Union before too long. I am equally convinced that because of its unique history and geographical situation it will continue to serve as a bridge between East and West, the need for which is becoming more and more apparent.

It is always nice to move on to a new challenge but at the same time I am leaving with regrets. It has been great to work with Turkish partners and Turkish people. I have met many interesting people here and made many good friends. I am going to miss Turkey a lot. Fortunately, Bucharest is only a short flight from İstanbul, so I am looking forward to paying many return visits, and to watching what I am sure will be the continued improvement in the situation of children.

I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to all my colleagues in the UNICEF Country Office who have worked so hard and done such a great job and always been so supportive. Whether international or local, I think we have a very hard–working, dedicated, competent staff here, and they have been getting good results.

I would also like to mention the Turkish National Committee for UNICEF under its distinguished founder and patron Professor İhsan Doğramacı, and more recently under its new president Professor Talat Halman. We have worked very productively together. I am certainly going to miss their comradeship and the unfailing support that they have provided in our joint efforts for children.

I would like to thank our donors, and especially the European Union, with which we have forged a close partnership in recent years and which has been very generous in supporting programmes in the area of child protection. Finally, I am grateful for the cooperation and support extended by our close friends in the sister UN agencies and in the NGO community.

Edmond McLoughney
UNICEF Representative, Turkey

PS: We’d very much like to hear readers reactions to this issue, so please feel free to contact us with your comments and suggestions.

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