Saudi Arabia and Turkey discuss ways to enhance judicial and legal cooperation

Turkish Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdağ held talks with his Saudi counterpart, Walid Al-Samaani, on ways to enhance judicial and legal cooperation between the two countries. The Turkish Anadolu Agency reported that Bozdağ said during a meeting held on Wednesday with Al-Samaani at the Turkish Ministry of Justice headquarters in the capital, Ankara, that Turkey and Saudi Arabia share deep-rooted historical and cultural ties, and that they are sister states playing important roles in promoting peace, stability, and prosperity at the regional level.

He noted that the friendship, brotherhood, and mutual trust between the two countries form a solid foundation for cooperation across various fields, pointing out that the official visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Riyadh reflected the advanced level reached by bilateral relations.

Bozdağ added that the shared will embodied by President Erdogan and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman has given new momentum to bilateral ties, expressing his satisfaction that this will has translated into tangible results in the fields of economy, trade, investment, energy, defense, culture, tourism, technology, and justice.

He clarified that including legal and judicial cooperation in the joint statement issued following the Riyadh visit represents an important step, and that signing an agreement on justice cooperation during the visit constitutes a development that strengthens cooperation between the justice ministries of the two countries. He emphasized the effort to translate the shared vision of the leaderships of both countries into practical cooperation in the fields of law and justice, serving the interests of both peoples.

He noted that Turkey’s “Vision for the Next Century” and Saudi Arabia’s “Vision 2030” underscore the importance of building strong, swift, and accessible justice systems, affirming that intensifying mutual visits between delegations and enhancing direct communication among experts will contribute to developing bilateral relations.

Bozdağ stated that his country has implemented several reforms in recent years aimed at accelerating judicial services and facilitating access to them, explaining that the digitalization of the judiciary, the development of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, and facilitating citizens’ access to justice represent the ministry’s top priorities.

He reported that the National Judicial Network project has enabled the electronic management of judicial procedures in Turkey, affirming his country’s readiness to share its expertise with the Saudi side in this field. He stressed the importance of cooperation between the judicial authorities in Turkey and Saudi Arabia in combating terrorism and its financing, organized crime, cybercrime, and money laundering.

Bozdağ added: “I am confident that Turkey and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will continue their joint stance in protecting international law, justice, and human dignity at both the regional and international levels.”

He expressed his belief that the meeting would contribute to implementing agreements signed between the two countries and open new horizons for cooperation in the fields of law and justice.