Bertan Özerdağ, who officially took office on May 16th as the youngest Chief Justice in the history of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), shared his insights with the Turkish Agency Cyprus (TAK).

Emphasizing the paramount importance of justice, Özerdağ stated, “The most important thing is always justice, ensuring justice.”

Özerdağ, who has served as a District Court Judge, Senior District Court Judge, President of the District Court, and Justice of the High Court, highlighted his goal of enhancing court efficiency and service through the use of technology and digitalization.

“As Chief Justice, I want to make significant investments in technology. My goal is the digitalization of the courts,” Bertan Özerdağ explained in his first interview with the state news agency TAK.

Özerdağ said he aims to bring the judiciary to an advanced level of electronic integration, surpassing many other countries.

He also emphasized the crucial role of judicial independence, describing it as “the foundation of the judiciary.”

Chief Justice Özerdağ pointed out the importance of increasing the number of judges to ensure swift trials and reduce the backlog of cases to manageable levels.

Noting that criminal cases dominate the court’s agenda, with a recent increase in serious offenses under the jurisdiction of the Heavy Penal Court, Özerdağ said, “There have been rises in cases of ‘murder’ and ‘drug importation and possession’.”

Regarding ongoing investigations, Özerdağ mentioned the issues of fake prescriptions and diplomas, noting that these cases are currently being processed by the courts.