Ankara, July 2025 – President of the Republic of Türkiye, H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, formally received Chief Ombudsman and President of the OIC Ombudsman Association (OICOA), H.E. Mehmet Akarca, along with a delegation of senior officials from the Ombudsman Institution, at the Presidential Complex in Ankara.
The delegation included Ombudspersons Mr. Ertunç Erkan Balta, Ms. Fatma Benli Yalçın, Mr. Sadettin Kalkan, Mr. Abdullah Cengiz Makas, Mr. Özcan Yıldız, and the Secretary General of the Institution, Mr. Mehmet Doğan.
During the meeting, President Erdoğan was briefed on the Institution’s ongoing efforts to strengthen administrative justice, ensure public accountability, and uphold citizens’ rights across Türkiye. Discussions also highlighted Türkiye’s growing leadership within international ombudsman networks, particularly through its active role in the OIC Ombudsman Association, which currently comprises 36 Member Institutions from across the Islamic world.
The visit underscored the strategic importance of ombudsman institutions in bridging the gap between citizens and the state, resolving grievances through non-judicial means, and reinforcing principles of fairness, transparency, and good governance.
President Erdoğan reaffirmed his support for the work of the Ombudsman Institution and commended its contributions to both domestic governance and Türkiye’s institutional diplomacy abroad.
