Istanbul Medeniyet University Ideal Medeniyet Law Club organized the “Palestine Conference and Forum-4 in the Context of International Law” in cooperation with the General Directorate of Relations with Civil Society of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Turkey in order to address human rights violations that occur in conflict environment. Held on 18 February 2025 at the central library of our University, the program was open to the participation of all our students, staff and the public.
At the conference, Istanbul Bar Association No. 2 President Av. Yasin ŞAMLI emphasized that the international justice system and the principles of the rule of law are insufficient in human rights violations that occur in the war and conflict environment in Palestine. Stating that international legal remedy mechanisms are ineffective in such crises, ŞAMLI stated that human rights violations, especially in Syria, have also been ignored by the international community. ŞAMLI pointed out that legal systems show double standards and said that universal values such as democracy and fundamental freedoms should work equally for every individual. Stating that international legal institutions should take a more active role in Palestine and similar crises, ŞAMLI underlined that lawyers and civil society should take responsibility to prevent war crimes and human rights violations.
Following ŞAMLI, Prof. Dr. Gülfettin ÇELİK, Rector of Istanbul Medeniyet University, addressed the rise and fall of civilizations and drew attention to the variability of policies and global power balances. ÇELİK said that Western civilization has entered a period of contraction today and that this has historically progressed in a similar way to the rise and decline cycle of many civilizations. ÇELİK stated that there is a thin line between peace and war and emphasized the importance of raising awareness and mobilizing society in such a period. He stated that the Palestinian issue is not only a regional but also a global justice issue. In this context, ÇELİK emphasized the necessity of a more effective international legal approach to ensure a legal remedy and justice, and said that civil initiatives should be taken not only within the framework of institutional law, but also at the individual and social level.
In the first session of the conference, under the title of “The Test of International Law with Palestine”, the functioning of international legal mechanisms regarding the developments in Palestine was discussed. Participants expressed their views on the rule of law and how a legal remedy can be achieved. The positions of the United Nations and other international organizations on Palestine were discussed and the impact of the decisions taken on war crimes and human rights violations on the ground were evaluated.
In the second session titled “International Criminal Court, Genocide Allegations and Legal Consequences”, how violations of fundamental rights and freedoms in Palestine are evaluated within the framework of international criminal law and legal norms related to war crimes were discussed. In particular, the legal basis of genocide allegations, the cases filed in international courts and how these processes are shaped within the framework of existing legal norms were discussed. The jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, past decisions and the investigations carried out in the context of Palestine were analyzed in detail by expert jurists.
In the Student Forum session, students from the Faculty of Law presented legal and political analyses by discussing the approach of international law to the Palestinian issue and the ways to resolve it. Emphasizing the need for the international community to act more effectively on human rights and fundamental freedoms, the students discussed proposals to encourage the international community to act more effectively.
