A German Unity Day Conference and Exhibition was held at Our University
The "German Unity Day Conference and Exhibition" was held at our university to commemorate the 35th anniversary of German unification. The event, held on October 7, 2025, was attended by Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Istanbul Dr. Regine Grienberger; Ambassador Mehmet Erkan Öner, Deputy Director General for Northern Europe at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey; Rector Prof. Dr. Cemal Yıldız; General Coordinator Prof. Dr. Ferit Küçükay; Rector of Istanbul Kent University Prof. Dr. M. Necmettin Atsü; Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. Aysel Uzuntaş; academics and students.
In his opening remarks, Rector Prof. Dr. Cemal Yıldız stated that German Unity Day is not only a turning point in German history but also a symbol of universal values such as freedom, unity, solidarity, and democracy. Prof. Dr. Yıldız emphasized that our university, with its mission to build a bridge of knowledge, culture, and science between Germany and Türkiye, revives these values every day.
In his speech, our General Coordinator, Prof. Dr. Ferit Küçükay, described German reunification as a symbol of hope, solidarity, and rebirth. Sharing memories of his own student visits to East Berlin, he emphasized that the "wall of shame" of that era only divided the city, but not the minds.
Dr. Regine Grienberger, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Istanbul, stated that German unity was achieved through a peaceful revolution and that this served as an example of unifying values in Europe.
In the presentation section of the conference, Ambassador Stefan Bredohl from the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Ankara presented "German Unity – A Closed Page?"; Dr. Richard Wittmann, Deputy Director of the Orient-Institut Istanbul, presented "Reunification Within the Family"; and Ambassador Mehmet Erkan Öner, Deputy Director General for Northern Europe at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, presented "German Unity – Its Impact on Turkish-German Relations."
The event concluded with a tour of the exhibition "A Short Story of the Peaceful Revolution and German Unity."
