On 27-28 May 2024, an international conference on “International Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters and Combatting Cybercrime" was held in Ankara under the ICCM project in collaboration with the Turkish Ministry of Justice Directorate General for Foreign Relations and European Union Affairs (DGFREU), and the CyberSEE project. 

Following the video messages from Hurşit Yıldırım, Deputy Minister of Justice, and Bjørn Berge, Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General, the participants were welcomed by Kasım Çiçek, Director General of the DGFREU. National and international experts from Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Lebanon, and Türkiye shared their experience in international cooperation in five sessions particularly focusing on addressing threats related to organised crime and cybercrime.

The discussions included topics such as the role of the Council of Europe conventions as mechanisms to enhance international cooperation in criminal matters, cooperation against transnational organised crime, interagency cooperation and information sharing, digital innovations in international judicial cooperation in criminal matters, the Budapest Convention on cybercrime, and best international and European practices on judicial cooperation in combatting cybercrime.

The event also marked the celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the Council of Europe and the 20th Anniversary of the Council of Europe Programme Office in Ankara. 

The project “Improving International Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters in Turkey” is co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe. The project’s end beneficiary is the Ministry of Justice Directorate General for Foreign Relations and European Union Affairs.