Legal Issues Arising in Construction Projects During Times of Conflict
The fifth edition of the Istanbul International Construction Law Conferences, organized by the Faculty of Law at Istanbul Bilgi University in collaboration with Schellenberg Wittmer Ltd, a Switzerland-based law firm, will take place on May 23, 2025, at the Intercontinental Hotel Istanbul.
This year’s conference, titled “Construction Projects in Times of Conflict,” holds special significance as it marks the 10th anniversary of the conference series. Within this scope, the event will address complex and current legal issues—both from academic and practical perspectives—regarding the impact of armed conflict risks and actual conflict situations on international construction projects and the protection of investor rights.
The opening speech will be delivered by Prof. Dr. Ziya Akıncı, faculty member at Galatasaray University and founder of Akıncı Law Office.
The conference will consist of three main sessions:
The first session will focus on the impact of armed conflict risk on project planning, with contributions from Alper Sabuncuoğlu (Makyol), Dr. Bora Kaya (Gama Holding), and Mustafa Gün (Diales), each offering unique insights.
The second session will explore contractual challenges encountered during conflict situations. Chaired by Prof. Dr. H. Ercüment Erdem, the session will include presentations by George Ayoub and Elliott Geisinger (Schellenberg Wittmer), as well as Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ece Baş Süzel from Istanbul Bilgi University Faculty of Law.
The third session will address investor–state dispute resolution mechanisms in the context of protecting construction investments during times of conflict. This session will be chaired by Prof. Dr. Turgut Tarhanlı, former Dean of the Istanbul Bilgi University Faculty of Law, and will feature presentations by Prof. Dr. Andrea Bianchi (Geneva Graduate Institute) and Dr. Mehmet Karlı (Kabine Law).
Each session will be followed by a Q&A segment, offering participants the opportunity to engage directly with speakers and exchange views on current practices.
Simultaneous translation from Turkish to English will be provided during the conference.
The registration fee is 225 EUR + 10% VAT, which includes lunch and coffee breaks. A discounted fee of 180 EUR + 10% VAT is available for the following groups:
Early bird registrations (until April 30, 2025); in-house counsel; legal professionals with less than five years of experience; academics; undergraduate and graduate students; members of the Turkish Contractors Association (TMB); Young ISTAC members; and group registrations (three or more persons).
Further details, the full program, and the registration form can be found in the attached flyer.
To register, please send an email to constructionlaw@bilgi.edu.tr or fill out the form below: https://docs.google.com/forms/...