The
The Deutsch-Türkische Jugendbrücke (DTJB) is the central specialist and funding agency for German-Turkish student and youth exchange. Founded in 2012 by the Mercator Foundation, the DTJB aims to promote encounters, empowerment, and social participation of young people from Germany and Turkey.
Our main mission is to enable encounters between young people from both countries to strengthen mutual understanding, reduce prejudices, and foster friendships. We aim to help young people grow into self-confident and open-minded individuals by imparting important social and professional skills. This helps them navigate mobile, multicultural, and digital societies and strengthens youth participation in social life[2][5].
The DTJB is a non-profit organization based in Düsseldorf with a program office in Istanbul. It is funded by public and private means, including significant contributions from the Mercator Foundation and the Federal Foreign Office. The Ministry for Children, Family, Refugees, and Integration of North Rhine-Westphalia supports the DTJB annually with up to 60,000 euros[2][5].
The DTJB continuously works to positively shape German-Turkish relations and promote the social participation of young people. Through topic-specific calls for proposals and the implementation of model projects, the DTJB sets targeted content impulses in the exchange between both countries. Since its founding, over 7,000 participants have taken part in more than 300 projects in the exchange, making the DTJB a central point of contact in student and youth exchange[1][5].
The DTJB is strategically advised by a German-Turkish advisory board consisting of high-ranking representatives from politics, business, media, and civil society from both countries. The board, chaired by former Ambassador Dr. Klaus Scharioth, is a unique body that keeps important actors from both countries in dialogue, even amidst political tensions[2][5].
Through its comprehensive efforts and initiatives, the Deutsch-Türkische Jugendbrücke has established itself as a flagship project in the relations between Germany and Turkey and significantly contributes to strengthening mutual understanding and international cooperation.
