REPUBLIC OF TÜRKİYE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE

Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek held a meeting with the Minister of Justice of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Waleed Mohammed Al Smani, and the accompanying delegation.

During the meeting held at the Ministry of Justice, the exchange of views took place regarding the enhancement of judicial cooperation between the two countries.

Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek expressed his great pleasure in hosting his Saudi counterpart, Dr. Waleed Mohammed Al Smani, and his delegation, stating: “The Republic of Türkiye and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are two brotherly nations with deep-rooted historical and cultural ties, bearing significant responsibilities for regional peace, stability, and prosperity. The friendship, brotherhood, and mutual trust between our countries constitute the strongest foundation of the cooperation we have developed in many fields today.”

Emphasizing that the official visit of the President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Riyadh once again demonstrated the strong level reached in the relations between the two countries, Minister Gürlek stated as follows:

“Thanks to the common will demonstrated under the leadership of our President and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, our relations have gained a new momentum. We are pleased that this strong will has transformed into tangible outcomes in all fields, particularly in economy, trade, investment, energy, defence, culture, tourism, technology, and justice. We attach great importance to the inclusion of cooperation in the field of law and justice in the joint declaration issued following the Riyadh visit. The signing of an agreement in the field of justice during the visit also constitutes a highly significant step in strengthening cooperation between our ministries.”

Minister Gürlek stated that “We are members of a common civilization that has embraced the principle that the religion of the state is justice”, and emphasized that they aim to reflect the strong vision set forth by the leaders of the two countries in the field of law and justice, and to develop robust and concrete cooperation that will serve the benefit of the peoples.

Minister Gürlek noted that the vision of the Century of Türkiye and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 highlight the importance of strong, swift, and accessible justice systems. He stated that increasing reciprocal delegation visits and strengthening direct contacts among experts would provide significant contributions to the bilateral relations.

“WE ARE READY TO SHARE THE EXPERIENCES WE HAVE GAINED WITH THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE OF SAUDI ARABIA”

Minister Gürlek explained that Türkiye has made numerous reforms in recent years to make justice services faster and more accessible, noting that the digitalization of the judiciary, the development of alternative dispute resolution methods, and the facilitation of citizens’ access to justice are among the priority areas.

Minister Gürlek stated that the National Judiciary Informatics System (UYAP) enables judicial processes to be conducted in a digital environment in Türkiye, emphasizing that Türkiye is ready to share its experiences in the field of digital justice. He added as follows: “We are ready to share with the Ministry of Justice of Saudi Arabia the experiences we have gained in the digitalization of the judiciary, AI-supported applications, cybersecurity, mutual legal assistance, and alternative dispute resolution methods.”

Drawing attention to the importance of cooperation between the judicial authorities of the two countries in combating terrorism, the financing of terrorism, organized crime, cybercrime, and money laundering; Minister Gürlek continued his remarks as follows:

“Cooperation between our judicial authorities in the fields of combating terrorism, the financing of terrorism, organized crime, cybercrime, and laundering of proceeds of crime is of great importance. As Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, I believe that we will continue to uphold our shared sensitivity regarding the protection of international law, justice, and human dignity on regional and international platforms. I am confident that today’s meeting will contribute to the implementation of the agreements we have signed and to the development of new opportunities for cooperation in the field of law and justice.”

Minister Gürlek expressed his gratitude to the Saudi Arabian delegation for their visit.

The meeting was attended by the Deputy Minister of Justice Burak Ceyhan, the Deputy Minister of Justice of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Dr. Mohammad Sulaiman Almutlaq, and the delegations of both countries.