The Closing Conference of the European Union (EU) and Council of Europe (CoE) Joint Project on “Promoting Alternative Dispute Resolution in Türkiye” took place today, marking the successful completion of this significant initiative. The event brought together prominent figures, including Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç, the Deputy Head of the Delegation of EU to Türkiye, Head of Programming Department of the Council of Europe, Director of the Central Finance and Contracts Unit, and senior representatives from the Ministry of Justice, judiciary institutions, legal professionals, mediators, conciliators and civil society.
Launched in December 2020, the project aimed to enhance the efficiency of the Turkish justice system and improve access to justice by promoting alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms such as mediation, conciliation, and arbitration.
Expanding legal remedy options and advancing ADR methods are vital for increasing judicial efficiency and enhancing the quality of justice services. These efforts also contribute to greater legal predictability and transparency.
Today's closing conference with the participation of more than 200 practitioners in the field, presented an opportunity to assess the progress made, to draw important lessons from the experiences, and to chart a clear path for future cooperation.
The Conference concluded that the project has significantly contributed to the following results:
- Strengthening the practice of conciliation within the criminal justice system, aligning it with the principles and standards of restorative justice.
- Improving the quality and effectiveness of mediation and arbitration by enhancing the skills of professionals and the capacities of institutions.
- Reinforcing the leadership role of the Ministry of Justice in strategic planning, policy development, and the coordination of ADR mechanisms.
During the Conference, all key-note speakers underlined the importance of ADR in Türkiye’s justice reform efforts and highlighted their commitments to sustain and further support the achievements of the project through the reforms in the future.
The Project on “Promoting Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in Turkey” is co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe. The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Türkiye Directorate General for Criminals Affairs and Directorate General for Legal Affairs are the end beneficiaries of the Project. The Central Finance and Contracts Unit is the contracting authority of the Project.
