Chief Ombudsman of Türkiye, Mr. Mehmet Akarca, met with the Ankara representatives of media organizations on 9 January 2026 to share information on the work carried out by the Ombudsman Institution in 2025 and its outlook for 2026. The meeting was attended by Ombudsmen Mr. Ertunç Erkan Balta, Ms. Fatma Benli Yalçın, Mr. Sadettin Kalkan, Mr. Abdullah Cengiz Makas, Mr. Özcan Yıldız, and the Secretary General of the Ombudsman Institution Mr. Mehmet Doğan.

In his speech, Mr. Akarca congratulated members of the press on 10 January, Working Journalists’ Day, and emphasized the indispensable role of the press in democracy. He noted that the Ombudsman Institution received 21,034 complaints in 2025, bringing the total number of applications since the Institution began receiving complaints in 2013 to 262,000, with resolution rates exceeding 93 percent.

Emphasizing that the Ombudsman Institution is not an alternative to the judiciary but a complementary mechanism that helps reduce the courts’ workload, Mr. Akarca highlighted that complaints can be lodged free of charge through flexible procedures, including online. He added that complaints are finalized within a maximum of six months and examined based on the Constitution, national legislation, international conventions, the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights, and judicial precedents.

Mr. Akarca also stated that throughout 2025 the Ombudsman Institution organized public meetings and youth-oriented programs, and conducted visits to prisons, child advocacy centers, and various public institutions. Following his speech, he answered questions from members of the press.