TURKPA participated in the Global Parliamentary Conference on Counter-Terrorism in İstanbul

TURKPA delegation took part in the “Global Parliamentary Conference on Counter-Terrorism and the Prevention of Violent Extremism”, convened by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) with the support of the Shura Council of the State of Qatar. The conference, held in İstanbul on 7–8 October 2025, brought together over 150 participants, including legislators, representatives of parliamentary assemblies, UN entities, civil society, and academic experts from 55 countries. The gathering provided a platform to reinforce parliament-led responses to evolving terrorist threats while ensuring compliance with international law and human rights standards. Discussions addressed legislative gaps such as the absence of a universally agreed definition of terrorism and explored the growing nexus between terrorism and organized crime, including illicit financing, arms trafficking, human trafficking, smuggling, and cyber-enabled crime. Opening speeches were delivered by the Speaker of the Shura Council of Qatar, H.E. Hassan bin Abdullah Al-Ghanim and Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, H.E. Prof. Dr. Numan Kurtulmuş. Mr. Hassan bin Abdullah Al-Ghanim underscored Qatar’s continued support for inter-parliamentary collaboration under the UNOCT Coordination Mechanism for Parliamentary Assemblies on Counter-Terrorism. He emphasized that the historical responsibility of parliaments requires stronger unity and concrete actions to confront terrorism. Stressing the power of a collective parliamentary voice, he noted that such unity remains the most effective way to achieve common goals, ensure security, and strengthen international cooperation in the fight against terrorism. Prof. Dr. Numan Kurtulmuş highlighted Türkiye’s commitment to parliamentary engagement and regional cooperation in counter-terrorism efforts. He described terrorism as one of the world’s most pressing global challenges and expressed his hope that the conference would pave the way for meaningful outcomes. Emphasizing Türkiye’s determination to contribute to a global framework for combating terrorism, he called for collective action and effective parliamentary responses to safeguard peace, stability, and human rights. The participants of the conference adopted consolidated parliamentary recommendations designed to strengthen the coherence and effectiveness of counter-terrorism legislation and oversight. These outcomes highlighted the importance of aligning national efforts with international human rights, humanitarian, and refugee law; reinforcing democratic oversight of counter-terrorism policies and expenditures; and promoting international and inter-parliamentary cooperation. TURKPA staff members, Executive Secretary of Young Parliamentarians Group Serhat Uysal and staff member Ulfat Aliyev, took part in the Conference.