Berlin Sister Municipalities Meeting Held

The Turkish-German Federation of Sister Cities hosted the Berlin Sister Municipalities Meeting. The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) was represented at the event by Barbaros Büyüksağnak, Head of the Foreign Relations Department, and Fahri Murat Tuncay, Director of Foreign Relations.

The event commenced with a keynote address by Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner, setting the stage for a day of meaningful dialogue and collaboration. Following the opening speech, a video message from Mayor of Istanbul, Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu, was broadcast to attendees. Later in the program, Mr. Büyüksağnak participated as a distinguished speaker in a panel discussion moderated by Prof. Dr. Murat Erdoğan. The panel also featured the mayors of Tepebaşı (Eskişehir), Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Spandau, and Köpenick, who shared their insights and perspectives.

A significant highlight of the meeting was the signing of a sister city protocol between Istanbul’s Şişli Municipality and Berlin’s Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Municipality. This agreement symbolizes a deepened commitment to fostering cooperation and mutual understanding between the two cities.

The Berlin Sister Municipalities Meeting, which aimed to strengthen the bonds between Turkish and German local governments, was met with widespread acclaim and underscored the enduring value of cross-border partnerships.