LETTER FROM THE MAYOR
Dear friends,
The Istanbul Centre in Brussels is the product of an ambitious dream and a lot of hard work. As Mayor of one of Europe’s great cities, I applaud its efforts to broaden cooperation between Istanbul and the rest of Europe. I am particularly proud to be lending my support to an enterprise that is helping to bring Turkish and EU societies together through dialogue, intellectual rigor and the pursuit of excellence.
I am confident that the ICiB will play an important role in presenting the citizens of Istanbul as good Europeans and in deepening an understanding among a wider international audience of the exact contribution which Istanbul can make to the Europe of today. Istanbul’s unique history and complex tradition of human diversity makes it an ideal candidate to further the European ideal of tolerance through understanding. We are an ancient city with a youthful population and one of our most important objectives is to encourage contact and dialogue among young people of different backgrounds.
In 2010 Istanbul will become a European Capital of Culture and efforts are well underway to prepare an exciting array of activities. The city is delighted to welcome many who we know will be making a special effort to participate in the wonderful variety of events. But, of course, we already think of Istanbul as a place brimming with activity and innovation. The synergies between our city and the rest of the continent are already happening in every field of human endeavour. All we need is your support.
Sincerely yours,
Kadir TOPBAŞ
Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality