Turkish parliament speaker meets IPU officials ahead of Istanbul assembly

Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş held a preparatory meeting Monday with Inter‑Parliamentary Union Secretary General Martin Chungong and Assembly Secretary Kareen Jabre at the Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel, the venue for the 152nd IPU Assembly. The talks focused on planning for the event, which will feature more than 80 programmes on the sidelines, including sessions of four standing committees, forums and thematic meetings under the theme “Parliamentary Action for Peace, Justice and Sustainable Development for Future Generations.”

Kurtulmuş Calls for Vision and Determination

Kurtulmuş also attended the IPU Executive Committee meeting ahead of the assembly and addressed participants at the opening session. He stressed that as the international system faces growing uncertainty and complex challenges, parliaments have an increasing responsibility to act with vision and determination. He emphasised the need to strengthen dialogue, raise a collective voice against injustice and conflicts, and develop new ideas for a better world, describing these as responsibilities toward future generations.

Istanbul as a Bridge

Kurtulmuş said the assembly’s themes of fostering hope, securing peace and ensuring justice are not only aspirations but responsibilities entrusted to parliaments. He added that the guidance and decisions taken during the assembly would affect not only the success of the IPU but also the broader impact of parliamentary diplomacy. He expressed hope the gathering would send strong messages in support of peace, democracy and multilateralism, noting that Istanbul, as a meeting point of continents, cultures and civilisations, will host dozens of parliamentary speakers and hundreds of lawmakers.