Kurtulmuş attended the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament hosted by the Italian House of Representatives in Rome and spoke at the session titled "Renewal of the Rules-Based International Order - The Role of Parliaments in Responding to Contemporary Crises".
Kurtulmuş stated that the activities of the Council of Europe in the fields of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, as well as its authority to set and monitor standards, are closely followed and appreciated both in Europe and beyond, and added: "As one of the founding member states, Turkey attaches great importance to the preservation of the important and unique role of the Council of Europe within the institutional architecture of Europe." he said.
Stating that they see this platform, which is both the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament, as unique and valuable platforms in terms of developing dialogue, mutual understanding and common perspectives between parliaments and parliamentarians, Kurtulmuş said that this conference is an excellent environment for discussion, dialogue and constructive exchange of views.
Pointing out that the international order established after the Second World War was built on the understanding that cooperation, dialogue and agreed upon international rules were essential to prevent the repetition of past tragedies, Kurtulmuş said, "However, today I am saddened to witness the increasing geopolitical fragmentation, the return of power politics, the spread of unilateralism and an increasing number of conflicts. The current international order has proven that Europe is insufficient to prevent conflicts and wars, even right next to it." he said.
TBMM Speaker Kurtulmuş stated that the Russia-Ukraine War, which has been going on for about 5 years, has ceased to be a conflict between two countries and has turned into a war of attrition affecting all of Europe, and continued his words as follows:
"Moreover, the international order has failed to prevent the genocide carried out by the Israeli government in Gaza for more than 3 years. The power asymmetry embodied in the distorted structure of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the failure to impose sanctions against illegitimate and unlawful practices, double standards and selective approaches have been both the source and the result of the weaknesses of the current system. Even the concepts themselves are distorted in line with political calculations. When occupation is defined as a security measure and deaths continue despite the ceasefire, common Our political language is losing its meaning."
Stating that they cannot wait any longer to rebuild a system that is collapsing not only with its institutions and rules, but also with the concepts used, Kurtulmuş emphasized that innocent people all over the world, from Asia to Africa, from the Balkans to Latin America, cannot benefit from the rules-based international order in conditions of heavy conflicts and brutality.
"In this context, it is clear that the rules-based international order has suffered a serious erosion in terms of legitimacy and functionality. International instruments and institutions can no longer fulfill their functions." Kurtulmuş said that he believes that parliaments have an important responsibility beyond just monitoring these developments.
Kurtulmuş underlined that if a fairer and more reliable rules-based international order is to be built, parliaments must play an active role in creating, discussing and supporting the new rules and regulations necessary for this purpose.
Emphasizing that parliamentarians, as representatives of the people, are in the best position to detect the first signs of tension, continue dialogue and contribute to the prevention of conflicts, Kurtulmuş said, "It is at this point that parliamentary diplomacy gains great importance. Parliamentary diplomacy can complement traditional diplomacy, keep communication channels open and create new ones when necessary. Putting the entire burden of resolving crises on the UN and relying only on UN reform will not yield results." made his assessment.
Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Kurtulmuş pointed out that the disintegration of the rules-based international order manifested itself in its most serious form in the humanitarian disaster and genocide in Gaza and said, "We can no longer turn a blind eye to the humanitarian disaster in Gaza and the region in general, the open human rights violations and crimes against humanity committed by the Israeli government against the Palestinian people. This is not only a political issue, but also a test for the common conscience of humanity." he said.
Pointing out that Israel's aggression is not limited to Gaza, Kurtulmuş said: "Destruction, displacement and acts of violence by settlers continue in the West Bank, and Israel continues to threaten the integrity and sovereignty of the countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon. The international community cannot remain silent in the face of constant violations of international law. We cannot allow impunity to continue. We call on the international community to take concrete steps to protect international law. Parliaments must now step in and immediately address the suffering of the people of Gaza and the violation of international humanitarian law." "It is imperative that they take an active role in ending this. This is not only a political initiative, but also a moral obligation in the face of great human suffering."
TBMM Speaker Kurtulmuş stated that they believe that the coordinated actions of parliaments can strengthen international efforts to protect international law and contribute to the establishment of a just and lasting peace in the region.
In this context, Kurtulmuş stated that he would like to emphasize that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and the Council of Europe, which are the fundamental foundations of human rights on the continent, should make full use of the parliamentary and diplomatic tools they have, and added: "The tools available to the Council of Europe must be used, including the suspension of Israel's observer status within the organization." he said.
Emphasizing that they should make more effective use of parliamentary dialogue and cooperation mechanisms such as the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament in order to contribute to the construction of a fair and rule-based international legal order, Kurtulmuş said, "The 152nd General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the NATO Parliamentary Summit, hosted by Türkiye this year, have once again demonstrated the value of such platforms. Victims of wars, conflicts and aggression, and people who were forced to leave their countries and were displaced or looking for shelter, It should be at the forefront of parliaments' agendas." made his assessment.
Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Kurtulmuş invited the participants of the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament to the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and said, "On this occasion, I would like to share with you that we will host the COP31 Parliamentary Meeting in Antalya on 16 November 2026, within the scope of the COP31 Summit. I invite you to this meeting, which will be jointly organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Grand National Assembly of Turkey." We would be pleased to host you in Antalya." he said.
Kurtulmuş's speech was followed with interest by those in the hall and received great applause from the participants. Upon completion of the speech, some country representatives in the hall applauded Kurtulmuş.
At the conference, Kurtulmuş was joined by Secretary General of the Turkey-Italy Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group and AK Party Istanbul Deputy Yahya Çelik, members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Turkish Delegation, AK Party Konya Deputy Meryem Göka, AK Party Istanbul Deputy Sena Nur Çelik Kanat, MHP Çankırı Deputy Pelin Yılık, Turkey-Italy Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group member and İYİ Party Istanbul Deputy. He was accompanied by Deputy Burak Akburak and Türkiye's Ambassador to Rome Elif Çomoğlu Ülgen.
