To celebrate the centenary of the French Embassy’s move to Ankara, Dr. Saltuk Duran and colleagues hosted an international symposium at ITU. In partnership with IFEA and Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, historians examined the 1925 relocation, Ankara’s urban rise, and the transformation of Franco-Turkish relations and scientific exchanges post-Lausanne.

Assistant Professor Dr. Saltuk Duran (ITU, Sociology Department, Faculty of Letters), with the participation of Professor Dr. Doğan Gürpınar and Research Assistant Ahmet Salih Odabaş, organized an international history symposium at ITU’s Taşkışla Campus marking the centenary of the French Embassy’s relocation from Istanbul to Ankara. Held in cooperation with the French Anatolian Research Institute (IFEA) and Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, the event brought together historians to reassess this pivotal turning point in early Republican history. Presentations explored the political context of the transfer initiated in 1925, Ankara’s emergence as a modern capital, and the reshaping of Franco-Turkish relations after the Treaty of Lausanne. Scholars also highlighted the cultural and scientific exchanges fostered by France’s new diplomatic presence Ankara.