A delegation of twelve representatives of the Turkish Ministry of Justice and Public Prosecution Office, headed by the Deputy Minister of Justice, Mr Hasan Yılmaz, took part in a study visit on international judicial cooperation to the Netherlands from 30 May to 1 June 2022.
The visit took place within the EU/Council of Europe Joint Project “Improving International Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters in Türkiye”. The study visit aimed at promoting understanding of the national system for international judicial cooperation in criminal matters in the Netherlands and enhancing the cooperation among peers through the exchange of experiences.
The study visit programme began at the Dutch Ministry of Justice followed by a visit to the National Centre for International Legal Assistance (LIRC). The representatives of the Turkish Ministry of Justice and the prosecutors were briefed about the role of the Central Authority (AIRS) in relation to Mutual Legal Assistance and Extradition and fundamental legal bases of judicial cooperation in the Netherlands. Discussions also covered the role of the National Centre for International Legal Assistance and training of personnel. The participants were then introduced to the Europol, Interpol, Sirene, Foreign Liaison Officers and Liaison Officers’ channels through which police data is exchanged in the Netherlands.
The programme continued with a visit to the Regional Centre for International Legal Assistance (IRC) and the National Public Prosecutor’s Office for Economic and Environmental Offences. Dutch prosecutors and legal advisers shared their practices on serious fraud, environmental crime and asset recovery and confiscation as well as the file management system between the central authority and regional centres.
Throughout the visit, the Turkish participants had opportunities to exchange with their counterparts on good practices and challenges in relation to Mutual Legal Assistance and extradition. The visit contributed greatly to the judicial cooperation between the Netherlands and Türkiye. At a ceremony during the conclusion of the visit, the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security presented a historical artifact to the representatives of the Ministry of Justice for a subsequent repatriation to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Türkiye. The ceremony marked the implementation of a related legal assistance request for the return of this historical property taken illegally to the Netherlands from Türkiye and emphasized the appreciation for the on-going cooperation in cross-border criminal justice issues between the two countries.
The project ‘Improving International Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters in Türkiye’ is co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe.
