The 152nd General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union will be held in Istanbul with a record participation of representatives of the world’s parliaments. The General Assembly, which will bring together approximately 80 parliamentary speakers, over 800 members of parliament and representatives of many international organizations, will allow parliamentarians to hold bilateral meetings during the turbulent period the world is going through and the search for peace.

Numan Kurtulmuş, the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, who has started an intense diplomacy traffic on the margins of the General Assembly, is participating in the preparatory meetings within the scope of the General Assembly, while also holding bilateral meetings with the heads of parliament. In his meetings with his counterparts yesterday and today, Kurtulmuş discussed bilateral and inter-parliamentary relations, regional and global issues, and conveyed the contribution of Türkiye’s peaceful policies, which prioritize diplomacy in conflict and crisis regions, to the culture of reconciliation.

TBMM Speaker Kurtulmuş also noted that the countries in the region should be alert and prepared against tensions and great turbulence. Kurtulmuş met with the Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives, Milton Dick, and the President of the Malawian National Assembly, Sameer Suleman, yesterday. Today, he will meet with the President of the Arab Parliament, Mohamed Ahmed Alyammahi, the President of the Egyptian House of Representatives, Hisham Badawy, the President of the Bahraini House of Representatives, Ahmed bin Salman Al Musalam, the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Federal National Council, Saqr Ghobash, the President of the Guyana National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, the President of the Niger Re-establishment Advisory Council, Mamoudou Haraouna Djingarey. Zambia National Assembly Speaker Nelly Butete met separately with Kashumba Mutti.

It is expected that the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Kurtulmuş, will hold many bilateral meetings on the margins of the 152nd General Assembly of the IPU, which will start tomorrow and last until April 19.

“EVERY INVESTMENT YOU MAKE IS A CONTRIBUTION TO THE WELFARE OF Türkiye AND KAZAKHSTAN”

Stating that Türkiye ranks 6th in Kazakhstan’s exports to the world and 7th in imports, Yılmaz stated that this ranking should be moved to the top 3.

In this regard, Yılmaz underlined the need to build a Turkish business ecosystem that goes beyond individual success stories, feeds each other, creates economies of scale and has high joint action capability, and said:

“In this context, our expectation from you is to further strengthen the ties within the Turkish business world, increase the sharing of knowledge and experience, and create synergy by developing joint projects, while being strongly integrated into the local economy in your country. As you know, this meeting is a family assembly beyond our official contacts. We expect you to sincerely share the difficulties you encounter, bureaucratic obstacles, solution suggestions and your vision for the future in this assembly. The notes and feedback we will receive from you today will constitute an important agenda item for us in the meetings we will have with our Kazakh counterparts tomorrow.” “Every investment and every project you carry out is a contribution to the welfare not only of you, but of both Türkiye and brotherly Kazakhstan.”

Emphasizing that they are aware of the problems experienced by lawyers, Gürlek stated that they are working on regulations that will both speed up the trial and provide financial support to lawyers. Stating that steps are continuing to increase the quality of entry into the legal profession, Gürlek said that the quality of the profession has been strengthened by making the exams more difficult and increasing the success ranking. Gürlek also announced that the scope of the e-Hearing application will be expanded and noted that it is planned to introduce the opportunity to participate in preliminary examination hearings online with the 12th Judicial Package.

Minister of Justice Gürlek received the Turkish Law Institute delegation at the Ministry. Underlining that the Turkish Law Institute is an institution with roots, history and traditions, Minister Gürlek said, “Hopefully, we will work together. Your ideas and work plans are important to us. As you know, we have now made a reform strategy and a reform move in the judiciary. We are considering taking some more important steps, especially regarding the problems of the judiciary and accelerating the judiciary.” he said.

“WE WANT TO HELP OUR LAWYERS”

Emphasizing that they know very well the problems that lawyers have been experiencing lately, Minister Gürlek said: “We are the family of justice. We have 209 thousand lawyers, 212 thousand judges, prosecutors and courthouse personnel in this family of justice. We all need to work together here. We know very well the problems that our lawyers have been experiencing lately. With the packages we will organize, we want to both speed up the civil trial and, in a sense, benefit our lawyers financially.” Minister Gürlek stated that the legal profession is a high-quality, qualified and elite profession all over the world.

“QUALITY INCREASED IN THE LAW PROFESSION ENTRANCE EXAM”

Stating that the quality of the entrance exams for the legal profession has increased, Minister Gürlek said, “As you know, the entrance exam for the legal profession has been held. It is a bit difficult. Yes, the thresholds are high, but this definitely requires this profession to become a qualified and elite profession.” he said.

“WE KNOW THE PROBLEMS OF OUR LAWYERS”

Minister Gürlek stated that the success ranking for admission to law faculties was reduced from 125 thousand to 100 thousand, and that they wanted to reduce this number even further. Minister Gürlek emphasized that the legal profession is an elite profession. Stating that the position of defense is sacred, Minister Gürlek said, “If three pillars work together, success will be achieved in the judiciary. Of course, we know the problems of our lawyers here. We also know the problems they face in the court offices in practice.” he said.

MORE EFFECTIVE JUDICIAL PROCESSES WITH E-HEARING

Minister Gürlek stated that the e-Hearing application, which makes judicial processes more effective and faster, is used significantly, especially in civil cases, and noted that they are considering expanding the scope of e-Hearing. Minister Gürlek said that they are planning to introduce the opportunity to attend the preliminary examination hearing via e-hearing in the 12th Judicial Package.

Breaking news: MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli made a statement at his party’s group meeting. Devlet Bahçeli, reacting to the US/Israeli attacks on Iran and Lebanon, noted that the World Peace Council should be established. Noting that Türkiye is ready to undertake responsibility for peace, Bahçeli also gave important messages regarding the goal of a Terror-Free Türkiye.

“WORLD PEACE COUNCIL SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED”

The inconclusive talks in Islamabad have further strengthened the possibility that the conflicts in the region will evolve into global destruction. Just as uncontrolled and unstoppable power competition and ambition for armament cause bombs to explode in the Middle East today, it will also pave the way for greater destruction in the heart of Europe, the nodal points of Asia and the fragile basins of Africa tomorrow. Shaken by the global epidemic in 2020, humanity has been constantly thrown by the Ukraine-Russia war, the deterioration of trade security in the Red Sea and the Black Sea, the human tragedy in Gaza, the destruction in Lebanon, and the crises that broke out in Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia. In a world where India and Pakistan are facing each other on the Kashmir line, and where the Pakistan-Afghanistan tension has turned the lives of tens of thousands of people upside down in Pakistan today, it is a dangerous mistake to think that the fire will be limited to a single region. In such a period when the possibility of World War II is more pronounced, the immediate implementation of a World Peace Council mechanism, under the leadership of the United Nations Secretary-General Guterres, with the participation of the USA, the Russian Federation, the People’s Republic of China, Turkey and the European Union, is a historical obligation on behalf of humanity.

“Türkiye IS READY TO PUT IT UNDER THE STONE”

It is now inevitable for the manifestation of a new global will based on justice, balance and equity, not the ambivalent understandings that carry the word peace but actually expand the war. Türkiye is ready to take responsibility with the responsibility imposed by its history and the mission determined by its geography. Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s maxim “Peace at home, peace in the world” will determine the route of every step we will take today, as it did yesterday, and the direction of all the roads we will walk.

Samed Ağırbaş, President of the Zero Waste Foundation, who was declared the ‘COP31 High Level Climate Champion’ in January, made special statements to SABAH. Explaining the preparation process of COP31, which is the UN’s global climate summit and will be held in Türkiye for the first time this year, Ağırbaş said, “As we move towards COP31, our focus is to show that the implementation has already started, to scale it and to present examples of actions that can create a rapid and concrete impact to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.”

(Zero Waste Foundation President Samed Ağırbaş)

The following sentences came to the fore in Ağırbaş’s statements:

‘DIGITAL CENTER WILL BE ACTIVE’

We anticipate a participation of over 100 thousand people for COP31. In addition to the established team and volunteer structure, our COP31 Digital Coordination Center will also be active to ensure instant data flow, participant communication and operational coordination of the entire process. Registration, information, guidance and crisis management processes will be carried out in an integrated manner through digital infrastructure. Therefore, a strong and synchronized support mechanism has been established both on the field and digitally.

‘WE ARE DEVELOPING A VOLUNTEER PROGRAM’

In this process that we carry out in close coordination with our Minister Murat Kurum; We are developing a volunteering program involving individuals and networks that will contribute to climate solutions in different sectors and regions. We are currently discussing with various stakeholders, including the UN Volunteers Programme, how this program can be structured to be inclusive, effective and aligned with the broader Climate Action Agenda.

Former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu was sentenced to 11 months and 20 days in prison in Mersin, on the grounds that he insulted President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during his term as prime minister in 2013.

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu did not attend the hearing at Mersin 3rd Criminal Court of First Instance, but his lawyer attended from Ankara via Audio and Video Information System (SEGBİS).

In his opinion on the merits, the public prosecutor offered an opinion that Kılıçdaroğlu should be punished for “insulting a public official”.

At the hearing, Kılıçdaroğlu’s written defense, submitted to the court through his lawyer, was read.

The judge, who listened to the statements, ruled that Kılıçdaroğlu should be imprisoned for 11 months and 20 days on the charge of “insulting a public official” for his remarks against Erdoğan in 2013. The judge decided to postpone the announcement of the verdict in question.

A lawsuit was filed against former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu for “insulting a public official” on the grounds that he insulted Erdoğan in his speeches at various rallies in Mersin, and it was decided to combine the file containing accusations against Kılıçdaroğlu’s similar statements at the Ankara rally in 2013 with the case in Mersin.