The work of the DAI Istanbul Department essentially is determined by three mainstays, consisting of (1) the cultural archives and scientific infrastructure, (2) scholarly communication, and (3) research and cultural conservation projects. The department is headed by its first director, himself represented by the second director who also is in charge of managerial duties. Three consultants and one research assistant oversee the activity within prehistory, Near Eastern, classical, and Byzantine archaeology. The second director furthermore specialises in architectural research and monument preservation. Directors, consultants, and academic staff together warrant for the accomplishment of the research duties and tasks of the scientific services. They are backed by three research assistants who currently are pursuing doctoral programmes at German universities within the department's project framework or by just consulting its archives. As for the fields of architectural research and cultural preservation, IT and research data management, as well as librarian and archival subjects, the department also employs several academics and local employees in charge of a wide range of tasks as to scientific services. A fluctuating number of research assistants in third-party-funded projects work at various locations in Germany. The department has its own administration and secretariat which, in addition to its secretarial and assistant tasks for the management, also supervises the Müller-Wiener-Kolleg.

The research activity at the Istanbul Department is much marked by its long-term commitment to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites at Göbekli Tepe, Boğazköy/ Ḫattuša, and Pergamon, whose management is either staffed by the Istanbul Department or incumbent on cooperation agreements with Turkish universities (Göbekli Tepe: Istanbul University). The projects carried out on behalf and with the approval of the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism are designed as international research platforms integrating students and scientists from Türkiye, Germany, and numerous other countries as part of their professional training, higher education, or own study projects. In addition, widespread measures of monument preservation take place at the above mentioned sites. The department furthermore conducts several short- and medium-term research projects in cooperation with Turkish and international partners. These projects have been selected in such way that they specifically both complement and expand the department's spectrum of thematic and spatial activities.

The department's library is one of the largest archaeological libraries in Türkiye and also an essential keeper of outstanding collections, especially as regards the architectural history of Istanbul. It comprises around 60,000 volumes and 200 current journals, as well as numerous digital publications. Its focus is dedicated to the archaeology and architectural history of Anatolia and its neighbouring regions.

The photo library comprises over 97,000 archived image carriers; another 114,486 images are stored in the separately managed Pergamon archive. In recent years emphasis has been laid on the digitisation of the rich collections and their accessibility and dissemination via the iDAIworld as well as on thematic exhibitions.

The department holds the research archives of the Boğazköy/Ḫattuša and Pergamon projects, the department's general academic archive, and that of its history. Further archives within the department's remit (including that of the Göbekli Tepe project and the Euphrates archive) are located at the DAI headquarters in Berlin.

The editorial office is responsible for the department's publications, including the Istanbuler Mitteilungen, the Istanbuler Forschungen as well as BYZAS, MIRAS, and Archeologica Euphratica series. The editorial staff is moreover charged with the supervision of manuscripts for the publication series of the excavations at Boğazköy/ Ḫattuša and Pergamon, both based at the editorial office of the Berlin headquarters.

The department for IT and research data management supervises the branch office's IT infrastructure and projects and coordinates research data management whilst supporting the projects in their use of archaeo-informatic applications from the iDAIworld and beyond. It furthermore hosts online public relations services social media profiles.

The department's Wolfgang-Müller-Wiener-Kolleg puts rooms at the disposal for members of DAI projects, travel scholarship holders, and scholars carrying out research relevant to the Istanbul DAI Department.