For some years, Turkey has become increasingly significant for European stability. This rather new situation requires not only a rethinking of European perspectives on Turkey, but also more consistent policy-making towards Ankara. With this in mind, the Centre for Applied Turkey Studies (CATS) was established in 2019 at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin.

To foster policy-related debates on Turkey at a European level, CATS brings together Turkey experts from European, Turkish and US think tanks, universities, and research institutes by establishing and curating the CATS Network. Through its fact-based and independent research, CATS and its partners in the network aim to contribute to a more coherent Turkey policy of the European Union (EU) and its member states. To strengthen cooperation within the European and Turkish research community, CATS annually offers fellowships.