Istanbul has had a closer relation with the European culture throughout the history with its commercial identity and strategic location. This relation has exposed one of its tangible results as saddling the city with the mission of being European Capital of Culture (ECOC). As Istanbul is getting ready for the ECOC organization that will be held during the year 2010, there are many projects on the agenda. It is a difficult mission when the content of the whole ECOC process is thought. This study, evaluating Istanbul in the process of its preperations for the upcoming mission of the ECOC, focuses on the content of the projects and aims to discuss their integration with the city, their responsibility of conserving the cultural heritage and participation of the public to the organization.