President of the Constitutional Court, Mr. Kadir Özkaya, hosted the delegation of the Constitutional Court of Spain on a working visit to Türkiye. The visit marked the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Türkiye and the Constitutional Court of the Kingdom of Spain. During its stay in Türkiye, the Spanish delegation also held a series of high-level meetings and was received by President of the Republic of Türkiye, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

In line with the shared commitment to continue reciprocal visits expressed during the Turkish Constitutional Court’s working visit to Spain in February 2026, a delegation headed by Vice-President of the Constitutional Court of Spain, Ms. Inmaculada Montalbán Huertas, conducted a working visit to Türkiye on 15–16 June 2026.

President Özkaya welcomed Vice-President Huertas and the accompanying delegation at his office, after which inter-delegation meetings were held. During the meeting attended by Vice-Presidents Mr. Basri Bağcı and Mr. İrfan Fidan, Members of the Court Mr. Engin Yıldırım, Mr. Recai Akyel, Mr. Yıldız Seferinoğlu, Mr. Selahaddin Menteş, Mr. Yılmaz Akçil, Mr. Ömer Çınar and Mr. Metin Kıratlı, as well as Secretary General Mr. Murat Azaklı, the participants discussed potential areas of cooperation, exchanged examples of good practice and shared their experiences on issues of mutual interest.

In his remarks, President Özkaya expressed his sincere satisfaction with the further strengthening of relations between the two courts in recent years, noting that these relations represent a strong reflection of the long-standing ties and cooperation between Türkiye and Spain in the field of constitutional justice. President Özkaya further highlighted that the activities jointly carried out by the two Courts within the framework of the World Conference on Constitutional Justice and the Conference of European Constitutional Courts, guided by shared values and common objectives, have made a significant contribution to consolidating cooperation and strengthening mutual relations.

President Özkaya underlined that, since the introduction of the individual application mechanism in Türkiye in 2012, the experiences of various European countries have been examined, and that, in this context, the constitutional complaint mechanism of the Constitutional Court of Spain, the recurso de amparo, has served as an important point of reference. He further noted that, over the period since its introduction, the individual application mechanism has become a core component of the Turkish constitutional order and has significantly contributed to the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms and the strengthening of the rule of law.

The Constitutional Courts of Türkiye and Spain serve as a bridge between the European Court of Human Rights and national legal orders

President Özkaya underlined that Türkiye and Spain are united by the shared values of the European Convention on Human Rights, stating: “Our shared commitments to the protection of human dignity, the safeguarding of fundamental rights and freedoms, and the strengthening of the rule of law remain firmly upheld. In this regard, the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has played a decisive role in shaping both the Turkish and Spanish legal systems. The two Constitutional Courts serve as a bridge between the ECHR and national legal orders. Drawing on the principles established by the ECHR in the interpretation and application of constitutional guarantees relating to fundamental rights contributes significantly to the strengthening of the European system of human rights protection.”

Every initiative to uphold universal legal values fosters a more just and more peaceful world

President Özkaya stated that the Constitutional Court of Spain is among the most distinguished institutions of constitutional justice, adding that its contributions to the protection of human rights, the strengthening of the rule of law and the advancement of the democratic constitutional order are widely appreciated within the international constitutional justice arena. He stated that wars, conflicts and humanitarian crises around the world once again demonstrate the vital importance of protecting human rights. He further stated: “Especially in the face of the severe humanitarian tragedy taking place in Palestine, it is essential to voice strong support for international law, human rights and the protection of civilians. In this regard, we highly appreciate Spain's and Spanish legal circles' commitment to the protection of international law and human rights. Every initiative to uphold universal legal values fosters a more just and more peaceful world.

The Memorandum of Understanding also stands as a strong expression of our shared commitment to universal justice

Pointing out that contemporary issues such as digital transformation, artificial intelligence technologies, the protection of personal data, freedom of expression and environmental rights have made cooperation among constitutional courts more important than ever, President Özkaya referred to the MoU signed between the Courts and stated: “We regard the MoU not only as an instrument for enhancing cooperation between our two Courts, but also as a strong expression of our shared commitment to democracy, human rights, the rule of law and universal justice. I am confident that this MoU would foster the exchange of knowledge and experience, promote joint academic and scholarly activities, strengthen the professional ties between our members and rapporteur judges, and further deepen the cordial relations between our institutions”.

Reciprocal visits would further strengthen cordial relations and contribute significantly to the advancement of constitutional justice

Vice-President of the Constitutional Court of Spain, Ms. Inmaculada Montalbán Huertas, expressed her pleasure at being in Türkiye and her gratitude to the Turkish Constitutional Court for its warm hospitality and gracious hosting. Vice-President Huertas stated that reciprocal visits between the two Courts would further strengthen their close and cordial relations. She also underlined that such visits would facilitate the sharing of experience and thereby contribute significantly to the advancement of constitutional justice.

Noting that the cordial relations between Türkiye and Spain have also had a positive impact on dialogue and cooperation in the field of the judiciary, Vice-President Huertas expressed her conviction that the MoU would further advance institutional relations to a higher level. She highlighted the importance of sustaining the constructive dialogue with the Turkish Constitutional Court and also expressed her expectation that the strong relations between the two countries would continue to develop through joint projects and reciprocal visits.

Following the meetings, the delegations proceeded to working sessions focused on the exchange of information and experience. The sessions on “Constitutional Complaint Mechanism” and “Constitutional Conflicts of Jurisdiction and Their Resolution Mechanisms” featured presentations by Vice-President of the Court Mr. Basri Bağcı and Member Mr. Engin Yıldırım, as well as Justices of the Constitutional Court of Spain Ms. María Luisa Segoviano Astaburuaga and Mr. José María Macías Castaño.

The Memorandum of Understanding marks a new phase in institutional relations

As part of the visit, an MoU was signed to further enhance cooperation and dialogue between the constitutional courts of the two countries at the highest level and to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experience.

President Özkaya stated that the MoU is a direct outcome of the constructive dialogue initiated between the two High Courts in Madrid in February 2026 and marks a new phase in their institutional relations. He emphasised that they highly valued the contributions the MoU would make to the preservation and strengthening of the fundamental principles of constitutional justice. Vice-President Huertas also expressed her belief that the MoU would further consolidate cooperation between the Courts and make a substantial contribution to the rule of law and the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms.

President of the Republic, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, received the delegation of the Constitutional Court of Spain

President of the Republic, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, received the Vice-President of the Constitutional Court of Spain, Ms. Inmaculada Montalbán Huertas, and her accompanying delegation, who were visiting Türkiye upon the invitation of the Turkish Constitutional Court. President of the Constitutional Court, Mr. Kadir Özkaya, also attended the reception held at the Presidential Complex.

The delegation of the Constitutional Court of Spain also held meetings with President of the Court of Cassation, Mr. Ömer Kerkez, and President of the Council of State, Mr. Zeki Yiğit.