The "Cologne-Istanbul Culture Year" events to be organized by Yunus Emre Enstitüsü in collaboration various German cultural institutions, was opened with a bull session with historian Prof. İlber Ortaylı.

Yunus Emre Enstitüsü President Prof. Dr. Şeref Ateş, Consul General of Cologne Hüseyin Emre Engin and many guests attended the event.

At the bull session held at University of Cologne, Prof. Dr. Ortaylı described the history and characteristics of Istanbul in Turkish and German. Ortaylı, marking that the Istanbul as a cosmopolitan city should not be compared with London and Paris, said that these cities can be viewed as aesthetic and touristic. Stating that Istanbul is one of the oldest cities in the world and has been the centre of civilizations for centuries, Ortaylı explained that the capital of the Ottoman monarchy İstanbul, suffered great damage in 1204 during the Crusades, however it was unharmed during the conquest of Fatih Sultan Mehmet in 1453. After the bull session, the guests filling the hall got the chance to ask questions to Ortaylı.

At the beginning and end of the program, guests listened to İstanbul songs.

Cologne Istanbul Culture Year

Yunus Emre Enstitüsü designated year 2017 as "Cologne-Istanbul Culture Year" on the occasion of the 20^th anniversary of the Sister City Agreement between Cologne and Istanbul. In this context, cultural, artistic and historical activities with Istanbul and Cologne themes will be organized throughout the year.