The delegation headed by Vice President of the High People's Court of Zhejiang Province of the People's Republic of China, Mr. Jiang Weiyu, paid an official working visit to our country from 29 June to 2 July 2026 at the invitation of our Council.
On Monday, 29 June, the visiting delegation was received at our Council. The delegation was welcomed by our Acting President Mr. Fuzuli Aydoğdu, Secretary General Mr. Ahmet Uğuz, and Deputy Secretaries General Dr. Müjgan Karyağdı and Mr. Levent Gedikbaş. During the meeting, the structure and functioning of our Council were discussed, and information was shared on ethical obligations incumbent upon members of the judiciary as well as the operation of the disciplinary oversight system. Practices and applications in the areas of digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and case management systems aimed at enhancing judicial efficiency and transparency were evaluated, and experiences and good practices relating to alternative dispute resolution methods were also shared.
On Tuesday, 30 June, the delegation visited the Constitutional Court, the Court of Cassation, and the Ankara Regional Court of Appeal. At the Constitutional Court, the visiting delegation was received by President Mr. Kadir Özkaya and Vice President Mr. Basri Bağcı. The management and operational mechanisms of the Constitutional Court were discussed, and innovative applications of digital systems in case admission, distribution, and tracking were evaluated. Comparative assessments were made regarding dispute resolution methods, and experiences in this field were exchanged.
At the Court of Cassation, the delegation was hosted by Vice President Mr. Adem Albayrak and Secretary General Mr. Aydın Şimşek. Following an exchange of information on the management mechanisms and organisational structure of the Court of Cassation, Mr. Albayrak provided a comprehensive presentation on the legal basis, scope of application, and connection with judicial proceedings of alternative dispute resolution methods in Türkiye, including mediation, arbitration, and conciliation. The functioning of the court-connected mediation system applied in civil, commercial, family, and labour disputes, and its contribution to reducing the caseload, were also addressed.
At the Ankara Regional Court of Appeal, the delegation was received by Chief Public Prosecutor Mr. Halil İnal and Court President Mr. Ramazan Aksan. Presentations were delivered on the working procedures of the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Court, and statistical information was shared. Subsequently, a comprehensive presentation on alternative dispute resolution methods was delivered by President of the 4th Civil Chamber Ms. Tülin Kurtoğlu. During the meetings, the institutional guarantees provided by Türkiye for diversified dispute resolution methods at the legislative and policy levels were examined; pre-mediation processes, the mediation-litigation nexus, and judicial review of arbitration awards were evaluated. The conditions for and practical examples of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms applicable at the appellate stage were also addressed.
On Wednesday, 1 July, the delegation visited the Istanbul Courthouse and the Istanbul Arbitration Centre. At the Istanbul Courthouse, the visiting delegation was received by Chief Public Prosecutor Mr. Fatih Dönmez and Justice Commission President Mr. Ahmet Önder Kocademir. Information was shared on judicial proceedings at the courthouse and courts of first instance as well as prosecutorial practices, and statistics on the number of judges and prosecutors in service were comparatively discussed with reference to China.
The manner in which alternative dispute resolution methods such as mediation, arbitration, and conciliation are supported within the Turkish judicial system at the legislative and policy levels, and their linkage with judicial proceedings, was also examined. Views were exchanged on in-court mediation procedures, mediator selection and training, case referral criteria, and the judicial approval process for mediation agreements. The use of information technologies by courts to establish online mediation and arbitration platforms in the digital age was also evaluated, and the dimensions and limits of the use of artificial intelligence in the judiciary were comprehensively discussed, including the situation in the delegation's home province and across China in general.
At the Istanbul Arbitration Centre, the delegation was received by Board Member Attorney Mr. Egemen Gürcün and Secretary General Attorney Mr. Yasin Ekmen. A comprehensive presentation on the management structure and functioning of the Centre was delivered by Secretary General Mr. Yasin Ekmen. Applications aimed at establishing an effective link between arbitration and mediation processes were evaluated, and the technical implementation and rule design of online dispute resolution platforms were discussed. Views were exchanged on the use of information technologies for the advancement of digital justice, and assessments were shared on matters relating to artificial intelligence.
Throughout all meetings held within the scope of the visit, the use of artificial intelligence in the judiciary and alternative dispute resolution methods featured as common agenda items, and a comprehensive exchange of views took place between the judicial institutions of the two countries in these areas. These meetings are expected to make significant contributions to the development of institutional relations in the field of the judiciary between the Republic of Türkiye and the People's Republic of China, and to the deepening of cooperation between the judicial institutions of the two countries.
