The symposium titled “The Protection of the Family within the Constitutional Framework,” jointly organized by the School of Law at Ibn Haldun University and the Constitutional Court of Türkiye, was held on October 24, 2025, at the Ibn Haldun University Campus with broad participation.
The opening speeches were delivered by Prof. Dr. Şükrü Yıldız, Dean of the School of Law; Prof. Dr. Atilla Arkan, Rector of Ibn Haldun University; and Mr. Muhterem İnce, Member of the Constitutional Court. The District Governor of Başakşehir also attended the event.
The symposium consisted of two sessions. The first session was moderated by Prof. Dr. Ömer Çınar, Member of the Constitutional Court. In this session, Prof. Dr. Faruk Acar delivered a presentation titled “A Contemporary Perspective on Family Law in Light of Constitutional Principles.” Fatih Alkan, Rapporteur of the Constitutional Court, discussed “The State’s Constitutional Obligations and the Approach of the Constitutional Court in the Context of the Protection of the Family.” Asst. Prof. Dr. Ali Demirbaş presented on “The Allocation of the Family Residence and Household Goods to the Surviving Spouse under the Legal Property Regime and Inheritance Provisions,” while Asst. Prof. Dr. Ömer Faruk Petek evaluated “The Constitutional Court’s Annulment Decision Regarding Article 166/IV of the Turkish Civil Code.”
The second session, moderated by Prof. Dr. Faruk Acar, featured Dr. Ferhat Yıldız, who discussed “The Protection of the Best Interests of the Child in Family Law Disputes” through the lens of Constitutional Court decisions on custody, personal contact, and protective measures. Dr. Meryem Solmaz, in her talk titled “The Issue of the Waiting Period for Women in Light of the Constitutional Court’s Decision,” examined the iddet (waiting period) in relation to discrimination and the right to privacy, noting that while the regulation is often criticized, it also serves to protect women’s interests. Dr. Saliha Merve Kaya concluded the session with her comparative analysis titled “Parental Responsibility for Children in Conflict with the Law,” examining Turkish and English legal frameworks.
The symposium, which drew considerable attention from participants, provided a valuable platform for discussing contemporary legal issues and proposals concerning the protection of the family within the constitutional framework.
