Turkiye’s In-House Community Comes Together in Istanbul for the 2025 General Counsel Summit

Following Budapest and Belgrade, CEE Legal Matters headed to Istanbul on November 4, 2025, for the Turkish General Counsel Summit 2025, gathering leading in-house counsel and legal professionals from across the country.

The event brought together legal teams from across Turkiye to discuss the changing role of in-house counsel, from cross-border dealmaking and technology adoption to regulatory compliance and risk management, while offering a space for networking and exchange.

Agenda highlights included:

  • Panel: The Role of In-house Counsel in Deal Making
    • Moderator: Muge Bulat Cetinkaya
    • Panelists: Baris Ozturk, Miray Iliksoy Baran, Aybars Yagiz, Aslihan Evcimen
  • Panel: Upgrading the Legal Function with Technology
    • Moderator: Kerem Turunc
    • Panelists: Basak Gurbuz, Merve Oney Barlas, Ozge Gulsen Kosem
  • Panel: From Efficiency to Insight: How Technology is Redefining Collaboration Between In-House Teams and Outside Counsel
    • Moderator: Kerem Turunc
    • Panelists: Mujgan Onsoy, Ayca Aydin, Ceyda Akbal Oztarhan
  • Presentation: Moving from Concept to Action in Compliance Policies and Guidelines
    • Deniz Senvar Pekin & Selen Ibrahimoglu Gures
  • Presentation: Speaking Up Safely: Whistleblower Protection and the Culture of Transparency
    • Koray Kocak
  • Panel: Nurturing a Culture of Compliance
    • Moderator: Buse Pınar Kacar
    • Panelists: Gozde Erkaya Adal, Ece Cakirel Eskinat, Koray Kocak, Dilsad Sever
  • Panel: Managing Multidisciplinarity and Associated Risks in a Fast-Changing Legal Environment
    • Moderator: Basak Gurbuz
    • Panelists: Senem Denktas, Atike Kokbudak, Ceyda Sila Cetinkaya, Sibel Yaka

The full photo gallery from the event is available on our Facebook page.

The event was made possible with support from Turunc, Kolcuoglu Demirkan Kocakli, Ozbek Attorney Partnership, and Herguner Bilgen Ucer – thank you for helping us create a platform for meaningful discussion and professional connection.

After memorable events, the season wraps up with the Winter Gala in Budapest on November 20, 2025, a finale to another dynamic year for the CEE legal community.

Get the memo – every week

Essential in-house updates, straight to your inbox.

UiPath Appoints Diana Tatulescu as Global Employee Relations & HR Compliance Director

Tatulescu has been with UiPath since 2019, joining as Senior Employment Legal Counsel (EMEA). In 2023, she was appointed Legal Counsel Director.

Inside Insight: Interview with Marek Kundrat of Corwin

Corwin Head of Legal Services Department discusses balancing legal precision with business agility, the realities of cross-border in-house work, and the shifting regulatory landscape in Slovakia’s real estate sector.

Interview with Hasan Doruk Ozdemir of Hitay

Hitay’s Legal Counsel discusses his nearly-decade career at the organization, what regulatory themes come up often across the group’s portfolio companies, and more.