Mr. Sali Murati, the President of the Constitutional Court of North Macedonia, visited Mr. Mehmet Akarca, the President of the Court of Cassation, within the context of a two-day working visit to Türkiye.

At the meeting, Mr. Murati was accompanied by the members of the Constitutional Court, Ms. Elena Gosheva, Mr. Jovan Josifovski, Dr. Osman Kadriu, and Legal Adviser Ms. Ljubica Angelova. The meeting was also attended by the Chief Public Prosecutor of the Court of Cassation, Mr. Bekir Şahin, Vice First Presidents Mr. Eyüp Yeşil and Mr. Adem Albayrak, Secretary General Mr. Fevzi Yıldırım and Bench Member Mr. Bilgin Başaran.

Expressing his pleasure with the visit, the President of the Court of Cassation Mr. Mehmet Akarca reminded friendly and brotherly relations between Türkiye and North Macedonia and stated that the Constitutional Court of North Macedonia’s visit will make contributions to the further development of bilateral relations between the two states. Providing information about the Court of Cassation and Turkish judicial system Mr. Akarca noted that the number of cases have significantly decreased thanks to Appeallate Courts, as a result of which the role of the Court of Cassation in ensuring the unity of case law in Türkiye has become much stronger.

The President of the Constitutional Court of North Macedonia, Mr. Sali Murati also expressed his pleasure to be in Türkiye and noted that this visit strengthened the fruitful cooperation based on the exchange of knowledge and experience between the two high courts, and that the high courts played a very significant role in ensuring the rule of law. Referring to the importance of dialogue between judges based on mutual goodwill, respect and solidarity, Mr. Murati also gave information about the duties of the Constitutional Court of North Macedonia.

As the official guest of the President of the Court of Cassation Mr. Mehmet Akarca, President of the Supreme Court of Montenegro Mrs. Vesna Medenica and the accompanying delegation made official contacts in Türkiye.

During the delegation’s visit to the Court of Cassation, a “Memorandum of Cooperation” was signed between the Supreme Court of Montenegro and the Court of Cassation in order to institutionalize the long-standing relations based on mutual knowledge and experience.

Within the scope of the Memorandum of Cooperation, the collaboration areas that are envisaged are as follows:

• The appellate reviews which are subject for judicial activities of high courts
• The application of comparative law
• Mutual sharing of knowledge and experience on administration of justice
• Examination of national judicial systems,
• Sharing legal information and legal transactions,
• Joint scientific studies in the form of seminars, symposiums and international conferences

The relationship between the two high courts have intensified due to scientific meetings held in Türkiye and Montenegro especially within the last five years.

In this context, numerous international works such as “III. International Summit of High Courts”, “European Union Member States and Candidate Countries High Courts Conference”, “International Terrorism and Illegal Immigration Conference” and “Working Forum for the Balkan States’ General Prosecutors” were organized by the two high courts.

Upon visiting Anıtkabir and wreath-laying to Ataturk’s mausoleum, the Montenegrin Supreme Court delegation visited the Ministry of Justice, Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Court of Cassation, Justice Academy and Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and received information about the Turkish judicial system and reforms carried out.

President of European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) Mr. Robert Spano, who is on a two-day official visit to Türkiye, visited Mr. Mehmet Akarca. Mr. Spano was accompanied by the national judge at ECHR, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Saadet Yüksel and Second Section Registrar Hasan Bakırcı. The meeting was attended by Mr. Bekir Şahin, the Chief Public Prosecutor of the Court of Cassation, Mr. Eyüp Yeşil, the President of the 16th Criminal Chamber, and Mr. Fevzi Yıldırım, Secretary General of the Court of Cassation.    

Mr. Mehmet Akarca, President of the Court of Cassation stated that the reforms regarding the rule of law and human rights in Türkiye are proceeding and judicial packages are put into practice for this purpose. He also added that the Superior Courts Network, established within the body of the ECHR, has facilitated judges and public prosecutors to follow ECHR case-law. Giving information about the Court of Cassation and the Turkish judicial system, Mr. Akarca recorded that the establishment of regional appellate courts have considerably reduced the number of files, as a result of this, the role of the Court of Cassation as ensuring stare decisis in Türkiye gained power. He also expressed his great satisfaction with the visit made.

            Mr. Robert Spano, President of ECHR, expressed that this visit has allowed him to acquire useful information about Türkiye. He stated that all the judges in the European Region should develop a common understanding of law regarding the implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights, in order to achieve this, it would be beneficial for everyone to fulfill their roles and responsibilities. He recorded that the difference of opinion between the ECHR and the national courts from time to time is by its very nature, so being aware of this fact, a common understanding and balance must be developed with good will and cooperation

             Türkiye’s elected judge at ECHR, Assoc. Prof.Dr. Saadet Yüksel pointed out the importance of dialogue between judges and stated that it would be beneficial to hold regular working group meetings between the judges of the Court of Cassation and judges of ECHR as in the past, in this way, a balance and harmonization can be achieved in areas of dissensus.

Having completed a long and exhausting training program on ethics, Ankara Faculty of Law and Hacettepe Faculty of Law students, who were entitled to be facilitators of “the Court of Cassation Judicial Codes of Conduct”, received their certificates. Within the scope of Ethics Week, the ceremony held on May 24, 2018 at the Court of Cassation was attended by the First President of the Court of Cassation İsmail Rüştü Cirit, the Chief Public Prosecutor of the Court of Cassation Mehmet Akarca, First Vice President and President of the General Assembly of Civil Chambers Mehmet Kürtül, First Vice President and President of the General Assembly of Criminal Chambers Abdulhalik Yıldız, President of the 4th Criminal Chamber Assoc. Prof. Dr. İbrahim Şahbaz, Secretary General Yusuf Ziyaattin Cenik and the bench members, rapporteur judges, public prosecutors and staff of the Court of Cassation who were in charge of trainings.

Vice President of the Justice Academy of Kazakhstan, Mr. Razzak Nazilya Razzakbayevna and the accompanying delegation visited the Court of Cassation to be informed about the Court of Cassation Codes of Conduct on May 11, 2018.

Yusuf Ziyaattin Cenik, Secretary General of the Court of Cassation, who received the Kazakhstan delegation in his Office, answered the delegation’s questions on the Turkish judicial system, the role of the Court of Cassation, appellate courts and alternative dispute resolution methods.

Deputy Secretary General of the Court of Cassation, Dr. Mustafa Saldırım informed the delegation about the Court of Cassation Codes of Conduct which was accepted at the last quarter of last year. During the presentation, the formation process and characteristics of the Court of Cassation Codes of Conduct, Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee, and the relationship between ethical principles,criminal law and disciplinary law were explained. Also “the Court of Cassation Judicial Codes of Conduct Law Clinic”, that are public access training programs aiming at spreading the Codes of Conduct to public were mentioned.