On 4 June 2026,IPC hosted a delegation of scholarship holders from the Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft (sdw – Foundation of German Business) as part of their study visit to Istanbul focusing on EU–Türkiye relations and German–Turkish ties.

The delegation visited IPC’s Karaköy premises and participated in a discussion on contemporary political developments in Türkiye, Türkiye–EU relations, and regional dynamics. The session was led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ebru Turhan, IPC Senior Scholar and 2013/14 Mercator-IPC Fellow, who shared insights on current developments in Türkiye–EU relations and broader geopolitical trends shaping the region.

The visit provided an opportunity for students and young professionals from Germany to engage directly with experts at IPC and exchange views on the future of Europe, Türkiye’s role in its neighbourhood, and the challenges facing international cooperation in a changing global environment.

IPC and Tarih Vakfı continue to organize the monthly “Minerva Talks: Istanbul in History (Minerva Konuşmaları: Tarihte İstanbul)” series. The discussion titled “The Transition from Traditional to Modern Sound in Istanbul (1800–1930) (İstanbul'da Geleneksel Ses Alanından Modern Ses Alanına Geçiş (1800-1930) )” was delivered by Mustafa Avcı and moderated by Ayşe Köse Badur and Ayşe Ozil on June 3 at IPC Karaköy.

IPC is now accepting proposals for the workshop "Ideas and Intellectuals: Alternative Histories of Turkish Foreign Policy" to be held on June 2, 2026, from 9:00–17:00 at Istanbul Policy Center, Karaköy.

This one-day workshop brings together scholars of Turkish foreign policy to examine the influence of ideas and intellectuals, with the primary goal of developing alternative narratives in the field. We welcome submissions from junior and senior scholars that connect intellectual history and foreign policy, including empirical studies of intellectual works, or examine intellectual practitioners and ideational currents across different periods.

For further information, please see click here.

The third episode of the "Paris Antalya" podcast series "COP31 and Human Rights (COP31 ve İnsan Hakları)", which brings together different perspectives in the run-up to COP31, featured Seda Yurtcanlı Duymaz as the guest speaker and Ümit Şahin as the moderator and was released on May 20.

Please click here to listen the episode.

The second episode of Istanbul Policy Center's podcast series "NATO in Türkiye" moderated by IPC Managing Editor and Researcher Megan Gisclon, was posted on IPC's YouTube channel. This episode discusses "NATO, Türkiye, and the United States" with (Ret.) Ambassador Matthew Bryza.

Please click here watch.

IPC organized the event "From Farm to Table—Craftsmanship, the Commons, and the Future of Food (Tarladan Sofraya: Yemek, Kültür ve Siyaset Söyleşileri—Zanaatkârlık, Müşterekler ve Gıdanın Geleceği)," which was held with the participation of Aylin Örnek and Didem Mahsunlar as speakers and Zafer Yenal as moderator on May 18 at IPC Karaköy.

As the Istanbul Policy Center-Sabancı University-Stiftung Mercator Initiative, we are thrilled to host the 8^th Alumni Event of the Mercator-IPC Fellowship Program on May 15-17, at Kaz Dağları, Çanakkale.

A roundtable discussion organized by IPC as part of the COP31 Dialogues was held on May 14 at IPC Karaköy. The meeting, which aimed to bring together the Turkish COP31 Presidency and international climate NGOs to foster dialogue among them, featured a presentation by the COP31 Presidency on preparations for the summit that Turkey will host in Antalya this November.

Representatives of international civil society organizations also shared their expectations for this year’s COP. The meeting, attended by Prof. Dr. Mehmet Emin Birpınar, Special Representative for Observer Organizations from the COP31 Presidency; Dr. Ayşin Turpancı, Director of the Climate Negotiations and International Policies Department; and officials from the COP31 Office, included the following international climate NGOs: CAN International, CAN Europe, WWF International, European Climate Foundation, International Climate Policy Hub, Global Renewables Alliance, Global Strategic Communication Council, LaClima, 350, and E3G.

Ali Baydarol and Altay Atlı were hosted at the "Nasıl Bir Dünya? Nasıl Bir Türkiye?" program titled “The Political Economy Triangle: the EU, Turkey and China" 

organized by the IPC-Sabancı University-Stiftung Mercator Initiative in cooperation with Medyascope.

Please click here to watch the event.

IPC launched a new weekly podcast series titled "NATO in Türkiye" in the lead-up to the alliance's Ankara Summit in early July. The series is moderated by IPC Managing Editor and Researcher Megan Gisclon, and new episodes will be available every Wednesday at 16:00 on IPC's YouTube channel. The first episode of the podcast explores “NATO's Defense Policy and Planning” with (Ret.) Ambassador Hüseyin Diriöz.

Please click here to watch.