Speaking at the opening of the International Justice Summit in Istanbul, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said developments in Gaza constituted one of the most serious tests of the credibility of the international legal system.
Gürlek opposed attempts to shape legal rules according to the interests of the powerful. Saying that human life and dignity could not be valued differently based on where a person was born, their identity or political power, Gürlek stated that international law must be applied to everyone without discrimination.
Palestinian officials prevented from attending meetings
Gürlek said Palestinian Justice Minister Sharhabil al-Za'im, who had been invited to the summit, was unable to attend because Israeli authorities did not allow him to leave the country. He described preventing participation in an international meeting on justice and law as concerning.
Gürlek also said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was unable to attend United Nations General Assembly meetings because the United States did not issue him a visa. He questioned the credibility of international law in light of the fact that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is subject to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, was able to attend the same meeting.
Call for equal application of the law
Gürlek said the international community must defend the rule of law, fundamental rights and freedoms, and the will of peoples. He stated that international law could fulfill its true function only when it was applied equally to everyone.
Gürlek said that, alongside wars and conflicts, mass migration, artificial intelligence's impact on law and society, cross-border cybercrime, the transformation of the energy sector, and global economic and trade relations were continuously reshaping the boundaries of justice and law.
Gürlek said the summit should address how existing rules would be applied and how international legal mechanisms could be made more effective. He described the definitions of law that the powerful seek to impose on the weak and embellish with lies as one of the most important challenges facing the system.
Gürlek described the situation in Gaza as the clearest example of this challenge. In Gaza, 74,254 Palestinians have been killed since October 8, 2023, 175,306 people have been injured, and most of the population has been displaced. Approximately 90 percent of the infrastructure in the area has been destroyed or damaged.
Justice ministers from various countries, including European Court of Human Rights Judge Saadet Yüksel and Syrian Justice Minister Mazhar al-Ways, attended the opening of the summit. The summit, which continued with sessions after the opening speeches, is scheduled to conclude on Friday.
Gürlek receives Palestinian ambassador
Following the summit, Gürlek also received Nasri Abu Jeysh, Palestine's ambassador to Ankara. Saying that Palestinian Justice Minister Sharhabil Zaim was unable to come to Istanbul because Israeli authorities did not allow him to leave the country, Gürlek described preventing a justice minister from attending an international meeting addressing the universality of justice as "extremely concerning." Gürlek said Mustafa Ahmed Mustafa Ferhan, deputy prosecutor general of Palestine, attended the Gaza session, while Fadi Abbas, president of the Palestinian Bar Association, attended the session on the future of the legal professions. He stressed that Türkiye would continue to support the Palestinian cause and the vision of a two-state solution.
