Upcoming events

16

November

Does Europe Need New Spaces for Solidarity?

Panel discussion Monday, November 16, 2026 in Warsaw

The Weimar Triangle, Ukraine and the Future of Democratic Europe
16

November

Energy democracy:

Workshop Monday, November 16, 2026 in Turkey

Deciding together on the future of energy
17

November

Local government climate action through a gender lens

Panel discussion Tuesday, November 17, 2026 in Turkey
17

November

A toxic climate:

Panel discussion Tuesday, November 17, 2026 in Turkey

Pesticides, global asymmetries, and a call for binding global regulation

Latest

Will COP31’s zero-waste agenda move beyond rhetoric?

Turkey heads into COP31 prioritising zero waste and methane reduction. Yet much of its waste still ends up in landfills emitting methane visible from space, while plastic waste imports continue. What can realistically be expected from COP31?

Prof. Dr. Sedat Gündoğdu

A new pumpjack extracts oil from the Diyarbakır Basin. Wouter Massink

In Turkey’s southeast, a rush for shale oil sparks land seizures and pollution fears

Turkey ahead of COP31: Climate ambitions overshadowed by authoritarian politics

COP31: Overshoot, Financial Injustice and the Fight for a Fossil-Free Future

Ecology

Turkish gendarmerie post near the Akbelen coal mine

Ahead of UN climate summit, Turkey’s environmentalists face rising risks and prison time

Environmentalists face the rising risk of arbitrary arrest and prosecution for campaigning against development projects in sensitive areas, according to a new Human Rights Watch report. Activists are often charged with resisting authorities and unlawful assembly, as well as membership in or affiliation with a “terrorist organization” in specific instances.

Marinas, fauna and flora: The environmental cost of luxury yachting in Turkey

Rising luxury yacht traffic and related industries are fast degrading the native Mediterranean flora and fauna, threatening not just the local environment but also the booming tourism sector based on its natural beauty.

Ecology »

Democratization

In defense of dignity: Seyla Benhabib’s Arendtian spirit in dark times

In 2025, the Hannah Arendt Prize for Political Thought was awarded to Seyla Benhabib, a philosopher whose life’s work confronts one of the most pressing questions of our time: what social, political, and moral conditions are necessary for human beings to recognize one another as equals.

Gaye İlhan Demiryol

Trade, politics and the future: Which path should Europe choose in supply chains?

News

Europe stands at a crossroads. Should it build its trade relations on fundamental values such as human rights, environmental sustainability, and labor rights—or align them with geopolitical interests? In our recent panel held in Berlin, we discussed the role of supply chains in German-Turkish relations.

Democatization »

Foreign policy and security

söz suriyeli kadınlarda paneli açılış fotoğrafi

Syrian women: “We are not just victims, but political agents”

News

At the panel Heinrich Böll Stiftung Istanbul Office organized on 24 November at the Orient-Institut Istanbul, the speakers were Syrian women. While they acknowledged concerns about women’s rights in a country undergoing transition, they also delivered a clear message: “We are not just victims, but political agents.”

Migration agreement with Egypt: EU backing the wrong horse

Commentary

The European Commission has signed a new agreement with Egypt. One of the aims is to reduce migration to Europe. But this will most likely not succeed.

Anna Schwarz

Foreign & Security Policy »

Dossiers

Publications

COP31 Antalya Facts, Debates and What to Expect on the Ground

Guide

Diego Cupolo, Emily Rice Johnson

The European Pillar in NATO: From Hollow to Concrete

Policy Paper

Unter den europäischen Staaten besteht weitgehend Einigkeit darüber, dass sie den „europäischen Pfeiler“ innerhalb der NATO stärken müssen. Diese Studie klärt die Bedeutung des Konzepts und zeigt auf, welche Maßnahmen für die Umsetzung erforderlich wären.

Dr Leonard Schütte

Art, Gender and Displacement

Research

Our new report, Art, Gender and Displacement, explores how Istanbul became a space for care, political expression, collective visibility, and solidarity among migrant artists navigating gendered precarity and displacement. Through performance, music, comedy, visual art, and object-based storytelling, the report shows how artistic practice can turn memory into testimony, and visibility into a claim for dignity and freedom.

Gülay Uğur Göksel , Meriç Çağlar

In it together!

Book

The Feminist Resilience Toolkit brings together strategies from feminist activists across five continents. It shares practical exercises on well-being, digital security, leadership, and funding. Case studies show how movements resist repression and build collective strength.

Derya Binışık et al.