On 4 July 2024, the ICCM project held a workshop in İzmir, Türkiye, with the participation of 20 representatives from the Ministry of Justice, Directorate General for Foreign Relations and EU Affairs (DGFREU), and judges and prosecutors.

The workshop aimed to facilitate discussions among the participants regarding the revised Circular no.69/2 on international judicial cooperation in criminal matters and draft templates for Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) requests that are being developed by the Ministry of Justice. Once finalised, the templates will be used by all Turkish judges and prosecutors. 

The experts from the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security, Department of International Affairs and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters supported the event and led the discussions with the national experts. The participants exchanged views on the challenges encountered in the field of international cooperation and provided feedback.

The workshop resulted in productive discussions on the revised circular and updated MLA templates, their content, and the necessary modifications to be made. This was the second workshop of its kind.

The project "Improving International Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters in Türkiye" is co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe”.