Türkiye and Spain’s constitutional courts signed a cooperation agreement Tuesday aimed at deepening judicial dialogue, expanding exchanges of expertise and strengthening institutional ties between the two countries.
The agreement was signed in Ankara by Constitutional Court President Kadir Özkaya and Spanish Constitutional Court Vice President Inmaculada Montalbán Huertas following bilateral and delegation-level meetings held during the Spanish delegation’s two-day visit to Türkiye on June 15-16.
The visit followed a working trip by Türkiye’s Constitutional Court to Spain in February, during which both sides agreed to continue reciprocal exchanges and enhance cooperation in the field of constitutional justice.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Özkaya welcomed the growing ties between the two courts, describing them as a reflection of the longstanding friendship and cooperation between Türkiye and Spain.
He said joint efforts carried out within international platforms, including the World Conference on Constitutional Justice and the Conference of European Constitutional Courts, had played an important role in reinforcing cooperation and strengthening mutual relations.
Özkaya also highlighted Spain’s influence on Türkiye’s constitutional complaint mechanism, noting that the Spanish Constitutional Court’s model served as one of the key references during the establishment of Türkiye’s individual application system, which was introduced in 2012.
“The individual application mechanism has become one of the fundamental pillars of Türkiye’s constitutional order,” Özkaya said, adding that it has contributed significantly to the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms and the strengthening of the rule of law.
He praised Spain’s Constitutional Court as a respected institution in the field of constitutional adjudication and said its contributions to human rights protection, democratic constitutional order and the rule of law were widely recognized internationally.
Özkaya also pointed to ongoing global conflicts and humanitarian crises, saying they underscored the importance of safeguarding human rights and international law. Referring to the humanitarian situation in Palestine, he said it was essential for the international community to continue voicing support for the protection of civilians and universal legal principles.
“We closely follow and appreciate Spain’s sensitivity, as well as that of Spanish legal circles, regarding the protection of international law and human rights,” he said.
For her part, Huertas expressed appreciation for the hospitality shown by the Turkish Constitutional Court and said reciprocal visits would further strengthen the existing friendship and institutional bonds between the two courts.
She said exchanges of experience and judicial dialogue would contribute to the development of constitutional justice and voiced confidence that the newly signed agreement would elevate bilateral cooperation to a higher level.
Huertas added that Spain remained committed to maintaining constructive dialogue with Türkiye and expanding cooperation through joint projects and future visits.
