ISTANBUL
Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus met Monday with Inter-Parliamentary Union Secretary General Martin Chungong and Assembly Secretary Kareen Jabre to coordinate preparations for the 152nd IPU Assembly in Istanbul.
The meeting was held at the Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel, where the assembly will take place, and focused on planning for the event.
More than 80 programs are scheduled on the sidelines, including sessions of four standing committees, forums and thematic meetings. The assembly will be held under the theme “Parliamentary Action for Peace, Justice and Sustainable Development for Future Generations.”
Kurtulmus also attended the IPU Executive Committee meeting ahead of the assembly and addressed participants at the opening session.
He said that as the international system faces growing uncertainty and complex challenges, parliaments have an increasing responsibility to act with vision and determination.
Kurtulmus emphasized 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.
He said the assembly’s themes of fostering hope, securing peace and ensuring justice are not only aspirations but responsibilities entrusted to parliaments.
Kurtulmus added that the guidance and decisions to be 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.
Kurtulmus also said Istanbul, as a meeting point of continents, cultures and civilizations, will host a large number of participants, including dozens of parliamentary speakers and hundreds of lawmakers.
*Writing by Merve Berker