Embassy of Turkey, Berlin
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| Embassy of Turkey, Berlin | |
|---|---|
Türkische Botschaft in Berlin | |
  The new building of Turkish Embassy in Berlin | |
 Interactive map of the Embassy of Turkey, Berlin area | |
| Alternative names | Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Berlin Büyükelçiliği |
| General information | |
| Location | Tiergartenstraße - Hildebranstraße, Berlin, Germany |
| Coordinates | 52°30′34″N 13°21′39″E / 52.50944°N 13.36079°E |
| Groundbreaking | October 2010 |
| Construction started | July 2011 |
| Completed | October 2012 |
| Inaugurated | October 30, 2012 |
| Cost | EUR 30 million |
| Owner | Turkish State |
| Design and construction | |
| Architects | Thomas Hillig, Volkmar Nickol and Felipe Schmidt |
The Embassy of Turkey in Berlin maintains diplomatic relations and represents Turkey's interests in dealing with the German government. Currently, Ahmet Başar Şen is the ambassador of Turkey to Germany.[1]
Situated on the crossing of Tiergartenstraße with Hildebranstraße, the first embassy building was purchased by the Ottoman Empire in 1918, and was used until the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire.[1][2][3]
The building served for the Turkish Republic's embassy between 1929 and 1944. It was destroyed during the last days of World War II in Allied air raids and street fighting.[1][2][3]
With the establishment of the Federal Republic of Germany and the relocation of its capital to Bonn, the Turkish Embassy moved to Bad Godesberg. The Embassy of Turkey was based in Bonn from 1950 to 1999 when Berlin regained its capital status after the reunification of Germany.[1][2]
From 1999 to 2012, the embassy quartered in a rented six-storey building in Berlin.[2]
New building
On October 30, 2012, a new embassy building, constructed on the site of the destroyed building, was opened with a ceremony attended by high ranked politicians such as the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister for the European Union Egemen Bağış and Foreign Minister of Germany Guido Westerwelle as well as some 1,500 guests.[2] The architecture of the building symbolises the situation of Turkey as a bridge between Asia and Europe.[3]
