A group of five legal experts from different NGOs and law-firms from Armenia visited Istanbul between November 19-23, 2023 as a follow-up of the similar Dialogue Programme that took place in the summer of 2022 in Yerevan.

The programme brought together counterparts in Armenia and Turkey to further and widen the scope of cooperation between legal experts from both countries.The first day focused on a “International Criminal Law and its Implications in Turkey and Armenia”where general observations were made and precedents on international crimes within the framework of the Turkish Criminal Code and the Rome Statute, as well as the implications of the ratification of the Rome Statute by Armenia were discussed.

The second day was devoted to a round-table discussion titled “Challenges faced by citizens of Armenia living in Turkey and vice versa”. The legal and practical challenges faced by the citizens of Armenia and Turkey were touched upon during the round-table. The highlight of the programme was creating an informal network of legal experts from both countries to respond to the needs specific to the citizens of Armenia residing in Turkey and vice versa. This network will also serve as a platform in which to share information and experience in relevant legal precedents.

The experts from Armenia also visited a number of human rights organisations in Turkey, namely the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, the Human Rights Association, Citizens Assembly and Hafiza Merkezi (Truth Justice Memory Center). These meetings gave the experts a better understanding of human rights issues in Turkey and the efforts and initiatives taken by civil society there. The meetings were also an opportunity for all participants to expand their networks in the two countries. The group also visited the Beyoğlu Armenian Holy Trinity Church Foundation where they had a discussion with representatives of the foundation on the legal issues faced by the Armenian minority community in Turkey.

The Legal Experts’ Dialogue Programme was realised with the support of the Olof Palme International Center.