By News Centre

The President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of
Türkiye, Kadir Özkaya, received a delegation from the
Constitutional Court of Spain on a working visit to Türkiye.
Following the meetings, a cooperation agreement was signed between
the two constitutional courts. The visiting delegation, which held
a series of high-level engagements in Türkiye, was also received by
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The Spanish delegation, headed by Vice President Inmaculada
Montalbán Huertas, visited Türkiye on 15–16 June 2026 within the
framework of a mutual understanding reached during the Turkish
Constitutional Court’s working visit to Spain in February 2026,
which envisaged the continuation of reciprocal exchanges.

President Kadir Özkaya first met Vice President Huertas and her
delegation in his office. This was followed by inter-delegation
talks. The meetings were attended by Turkish Constitutional Court
Vice Presidents Basri Bağcı and İrfan Fidan, as well as judges
Engin Yıldırım, Recai Akyel, Yıldız Seferinoğlu, Selahaddin Menteş,
Yılmaz Akçil, Ömer Çınar, Metin Kıratlı, and Secretary-General
Murat Azaklı. Discussions focused on potential areas of
cooperation, best practice examples, and the exchange of
institutional experience.

In his remarks, Özkaya expressed satisfaction with the growing
strength of relations between the two courts in recent years,
stating that this cooperation reflects the deep-rooted friendship
and partnership between Türkiye and Spain in the field of
constitutional justice. He emphasized that joint efforts within the
framework of the World Conference on Constitutional Justice and the
Conference of European Constitutional Courts, guided by shared
values and objectives, have played an important role in
strengthening institutional ties.

Recalling that Türkiye introduced its individual application
mechanism in 2012, Özkaya noted that European experiences were
examined during its establishment, with Spain’s constitutional
complaint system serving as one of the key reference models. He
stressed that over time, the individual application system has
become a fundamental component of the Turkish constitutional order,
significantly contributing to the protection of fundamental rights
and freedoms and the strengthening of the rule of law.

Highlighting that Türkiye and Spain share common values under
the European Convention on Human Rights framework, Özkaya stated:
“Our shared commitments to protecting human dignity, safeguarding
fundamental rights and freedoms, and strengthening the rule of law
continue unabated. In this regard, the jurisprudence of the
European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has had a decisive influence
on both Turkish and Spanish legal systems. Our constitutional
courts serve as a bridge between the ECtHR and national legal
orders. The use of ECtHR principles in interpreting and applying
constitutional guarantees related to fundamental rights makes a
meaningful contribution to the strengthening of a common European
legal space.”

Özkaya further described the Spanish Constitutional Court as one
of the most respected institutions of constitutional adjudication,
noting its internationally recognized contribution to human rights
protection, the rule of law, and the development of democratic
constitutional order.

Referring to current global challenges, Özkaya emphasized that
wars, conflicts, and humanitarian crises once again highlight the
importance of protecting human rights. He stated: “In particular,
in the face of the severe humanitarian tragedy currently unfolding
in Palestine, it is of great importance that strong emphasis is
placed on international law, human rights, and the protection of
civilians. In this context, we closely follow and appreciate
Spain’s and Spanish legal circles’ sensitivity toward the
protection of international law and human rights. Every effort to
defend universal legal values contributes to building a more just
and peaceful world.”

Drawing attention to contemporary issues such as digital
transformation, artificial intelligence technologies, personal data
protection, freedom of expression, and environmental rights, Özkaya
underlined that these developments have made cooperation between
constitutional courts more important than ever. Referring to the
newly signed agreement, he said:

“We regard this cooperation agreement not only as a document
aimed at enhancing institutional collaboration between our two
courts, but also as a strong expression of our shared commitment to
democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and the ideal of
universal justice. I believe this agreement will enhance the
exchange of knowledge and experience, encourage joint scientific
and academic work, strengthen professional relations between our
judges and rapporteurs, and further deepen the friendship between
our institutions.”

Vice President Inmaculada Montalbán Huertas expressed her
satisfaction at being in Türkiye, thanking the Constitutional Court
for its hospitality. She noted that reciprocal visits between the
two constitutional courts would further strengthen existing ties
and friendly relations. She emphasized that such exchanges provide
valuable opportunities for sharing experience and significantly
contribute to the development of constitutional justice.

Huertas also underlined that the friendly relations between
Türkiye and Spain positively influence judicial dialogue and
cooperation. She expressed confidence that the cooperation
agreement would elevate institutional relations to a higher level,
adding that maintaining constructive dialogue with the Turkish
Constitutional Court is a priority. She concluded by expressing
hope that strong ties between the two countries would continue
through joint projects and reciprocal visits.

Following the talks, technical working sessions were held
focusing on the exchange of knowledge and experience. In sessions
titled “Constitutional Complaint Mechanism” and “Constitutional
Jurisdictional Conflicts and Resolution Procedures,” presentations
were delivered by Vice President Basri Bağcı, Judge Engin Yıldırım,
and Spanish Constitutional Court members María Luisa Segoviano
Astaburuaga and José María Macías Castaño.

During the visit, a bilateral cooperation agreement was signed
with the aim of enhancing cooperation and dialogue between the two
constitutional courts and promoting the exchange of knowledge and
experience.

Özkaya described the agreement as a natural outcome of the
constructive dialogue initiated in Madrid in February 2026 and as a
new phase in institutional relations, stressing its value in
strengthening the fundamental principles of constitutional justice.
Vice President Huertas also expressed her belief that the agreement
would reinforce cooperation between the courts and contribute
significantly to the protection of the rule of law and fundamental
rights and freedoms.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan received Vice President
Inmaculada Montalbán Huertas and the accompanying delegation at the
Presidential Complex in Ankara, upon invitation from the Turkish
Constitutional Court. President Özkaya was also present at the
meeting.

The Spanish Constitutional Court delegation also met separately
with the President of the Court of Cassation of Türkiye (Yargıtay),
Ömer Kerkez, and the President of the Council of State of Türkiye
(Danıştay), Zeki Yiğit.