Justice Minister Akın Gürlek on Wednesday hosted his Saudi counterpart, Walid bin Muhammad Al Samaani, in Ankara. During the meeting, the two ministers exchanged views on strengthening judicial cooperation between their countries.

Gürlek highlighted the close ties between Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, citing cooperation across various fields, from the economy to defense. He said the two countries attach particular importance to cooperation in the fields of law and justice.

"We are members of a shared civilization that embraces the principle that 'Justice is the religion of the state,'" Gürlek said.

He stressed that they aim to reflect the strong vision set out by the leaders of the two countries in the field of law and justice and to develop practical and effective cooperation that will benefit both peoples.

Gürlek said that the Century of Türkiye Vision and Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 both underscore the importance of strong, efficient and accessible justice systems. He added that increasing mutual delegation visits and strengthening direct contacts between legal experts would make a significant contribution to bilateral relations.

The justice minister also noted that Türkiye has implemented numerous reforms in recent years to make judicial services faster and more accessible. He said the digitalization of the judiciary, the development of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and improving citizens' access to justice remain among the country's priorities.

Gürlek said the National Judiciary Informatics System (UYAP) enables judicial processes in Türkiye to be conducted digitally and added that the country is ready to share its expertise in digital justice.

"We are prepared to share with the Saudi Ministry of Justice our experience in the digitalization of the judiciary, artificial intelligence-supported applications, cybersecurity, judicial cooperation and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms," he said.