25th European Crystallographic Meeting

Dear Colleagues and Friends, On behalf of the Organizing Committee and ECA, it is a pleasure to invite you to Istanbul for the 25th 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 25th 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, alltogether make Istanbul a passage between continents, civilizations, beliefs and cultures. Istanbul, the former capital of three successive empires, Roman, Byzantineand 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 KendiChair of the ECM25