The Turkish Chapter of the International Society of Public Law (ICON-S) was officially established with its inaugural meeting, held at Bilkent on October 18. The event brought together distinguished academics and researchers from across Türkiye to discuss the future of constitutional and public law studies within national and international contexts.
Founded in 2014, ICON-S is a global scholarly community dedicated to fostering research and dialogue on public law and constitutionalism in a cross-disciplinary and cross-jurisdictional manner. The establishment of the Türkiye Chapter marks an important step in expanding this vibrant academic network and amplifying Turkish doctrine in global public law debates.
The ICON-S Türkiye Chapter will be cochaired by Prof. Ece Göztepe from Bilkent University and Prof. Bertil Emrah Oder from Koç University. The meeting marked an important milestone in connecting Turkish public law doctrine with the global ICON-S network, which promotes dialogue and collaboration on issues of constitutionalism, democracy and the rule of law.
Following the opening speech by cochairs, the opening address was delivered by Prof. Engin Yıldırım, Judge of the Constitutional Court of Türkiye, who shared insightful reflections on the current challenges and prospects of constitutional adjudication in Türkiye.
Following the opening session, participants divided into thematic working groups focusing on various dimensions of public law. Each group discussed its future research agenda and potential collaborative projects, aiming to strengthen interdisciplinary and comparative approaches to public law doctrine in Türkiye.
The meeting concluded with a discussion on the forthcoming activities of the ICON-S Türkiye Chapter, including academic workshops, conferences and initiatives to promote engagement between Turkish and international academics.