I am greatly encouraged by the interest being shown in the Crawford Fund by the Turkish authorities and research institutions in general and by alumni in particular. Tomorrow, I am to be the guest of the Turkish 'gene bank' on the initiative of a former Crawford Fund sponsored trainee.

Wednesday has dawned as a beautiful day in Ankara: partially cloudy sky, occasional rain showers, temperature a pleasant 12 degrees. From our apartment we can see for miles to where the city extends east towards Eskisehir and in side view to the north and the south: a modern vibrant city with a booming middle class.

We visited the Anatolian Museum in the old city (Ulus) and traced the history from Assyrian and Hittite eras through Phrygian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman times.

A selection of snaps from the Anatolian Museum