The 17^th European Regional Conference of the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP) of which the Council of Judges and Prosecutors is also a member, was arranged in Porto, Portugal, on 16-17 May 2019. Mr. Hüseyin Cem Eren and Mr. Veli Ünal, the Rapporteur Judges from the Foreign Relations and Projects Bureau, attended the conference.

The conference was arranged in three panel sessions in total. The first panel session, the topic of which was the “Organisation of the Public Prosecution Service In Criminal Justice”, was arranged in the first day, after the opening speeches. Both the representatives from our council took the floor and asked various questions to the speakers. After the panel session, ideas were exchanged among all the representatives from different countries during the dinner hosted by the IAP.

The topics of the sessions arranged at the second day were  “Organisational and Procedural Strategy” and “Complex Investigations: Working Methods”.

Upon the criticism the President of the European Judges for Democracy and Liberties (MEDEL) made regarding the judiciary in Türkiye with wrong and uncertain information as the moderator of the last panel session arranged in the afternoon, our representative Mr. Hüseyin Cem Eren took the floor, talked about the processes throughout the world which resembles the one experienced in Türkiye, expressed that it was not agreeable to make such criticism with partial information without officially requesting information from the CJP, and invited both all the participants who wished to receive accurate information regarding the process, and MEDEL to contact with the CJP.

Mr. Han Moraal, the Secretary General of the IAP, criticised the president of the MEDEL for being political and speaking outside the agenda, expressing that the channels of communication with the CJP was open, since IAP was not a political association.

The 17th European Regional Conference of the IAP reached its end after the completion of the agenda and the closing remarks.

At the same day, Mr. Rui Moreira, the Mayor of Porto, hosted a dinner, and exchanged ideas with the representatives from the member countries regarding various matters.