Dear Colleagues and Friends,

 

            On behalf of the Organizing Committee and ECA, it is a pleasure to invite you to             Istanbul for the 25^th European Crystallographic Meeting in 2009.The workshops,       

            scientific and poster sessions, as well as the exhibition will be housed in Harbiye

            Museum and Cultural Center which is itself a historical building located in the congress

            valley of Istanbul. This year, it is also a good chance to celebrate 25^th anniversary of    

            our traditional ECA Meeting.

 

            The scientific programme will be prepared jointly by the European Crystallographic    

            Association and the leading persons of the Special Interest Group network. The

            congress will cover all topics of crystallography, including Biological and

            Macromolecular Crystallography, Materials and Minerals, Chemical Crystallography,

            Experimental and Computational Techniques and Fundamental Crystallography.

            Internationally renowned speakers will be invited to present these topics, in order to

            create an enjoyable scientific atmosphere for interactive discussions.

 

            Apart from a very interesting scientific programme, the venue of the meeting, Istanbul

           as a junction point for the two continents of Asia and Europe, offers a wide range of

            attractions. Istanbul is one of the most important cultural and commercial centers of

            the world. Its unique location, the fantastic scenery and rich historical background, all

            together make Istanbul a passage between continents, civilizations, beliefs and

            cultures. Istanbul, the former capital of three successive empires, Roman, Byzantine

            and Ottoman, today honors and preserves the legacy of its past while looking forward

            to a modern future. You and your accompanying persons will have the opportunity to

            discover Turkish cuisine, music, art and architecture, and enjoy the world famous

            Turkish hospitality and leave Istanbul with unforgettable memories.

 

            I hope, all of you will find the Congress informative and interesting. I sincerely believe    

            that it will provide a useful forum for the exchange of ideas and the latest results in    

            crystallography, as well as an opportunity to meet the distinguished scientists from all

            over the world.

 
            We are looking forward to meeting you in Istanbul in 2009.

                                                                  

Engin Kendi                                                                                 Chair of the ECM25