LETTER FROM THE COMMUNICATION COMMITTEE
Letter from the Co - Chairs of the Communication Committee
The Istanbul Centre in Brussels has a good story to tell. Istanbul is an ancient city, the eastern gateway to continental Europe, and a metropolis with commanding views of the cold waters of the Black Sea passing through to the warm waters of the Aegean and beyond. This prime location means that Istanbul has for millennia played a pivotal role in the social, economic and cultural life of Europe. ICiB is a modern extension of Istanbul’s European vocation and gives the citizens of Istanbul a platform in the administrative heart of the EU. ICiB is a means of presenting the all too obvious charms of Istanbul to a wider audience, but is itself a gateway, a means of engaging like-minded Europeans in matters of common concern.
Istanbul’s conversation with the rest of Europe takes place against the background of Turkey’s accession to the European Union, but is too important to be left to a negotiating table. So it is the job of the Communication Committee to ensure the depth of that dialogue and to see that it includes a broad and interested set of participants.
Andrew Finkel
Zeynel Lüle
Co - Chairs of the Communication Committee