On June 22, German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel welcomed around 30 senior editors of Turkish language newspapers in Germany to an off-the-record conversation in Berlin. The meeting was part of the "Journalist Program for Promoting German-Turkish Relations" which has been conducted by the Turkish-German Forum of Culture in cooperation with the Robert Bosch Foundation since 2005.

“This is already a good start,” Chancellor Merkel said, opening the conversation. The two honorary presidents of the Turkish-German Forum of Culture, Günter Grass and Yaşar Kemal, had prepared special presents for the group to bring to the Chancellery.

Special attention was given by the Turkish journalists to the Chancellor's pondering towards a German-Turkish “ARTE” television channel and the suggestion to repeat this meeting each year. (press coverage)