Senior Officials of Stiftung Mercator Meet with Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Officials

A high-level delegation composed of senior executives of the Germany-based leading foundation Stiftung Mercator visited Istanbul on the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of the Foundation’s Istanbul Office.

Within the scope of the visit, the delegation met with officials of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) at the Istanbul Planning Agency (IPA) Florya Campus. The meeting was attended by Mr. Barbaros Büyüksağnak, Head of the Department of Foreign Relations; Prof. Dr. Ayşen Erdinçler, Head of the Department of Environmental Protection and Control; Mr. Metin Hanedan, Acting Head of the Department of Information Technologies; along with senior officials and experts from IMM and IPA.

The Stiftung Mercator delegation included not only senior executives but also representatives of the foundation’s founding family, reflecting the high-level and distinguished nature of the visit.

During the meeting, participants exchanged views on Istanbul’s urban planning vision, climate change mitigation policies, and ongoing digital transformation initiatives. Through presentations and discussions, best practices were shared, and potential solutions to common global challenges faced by local governments were explored.

The meeting also highlighted potential areas of cooperation, particularly in sustainable urban development, climate resilience, and data-driven governance, underlining the importance of knowledge exchange between local authorities and international institutions.

The visit is considered an important step toward strengthening existing relations between the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and international stakeholders, as well as fostering future collaborations.