“Töreana” — a Project Reflecting Turkic Legal Traditions in a Modern Symbol of Justice
Amul Info ·
Turkish scholar Sami Narter presented “Töreana”, a new symbol of justice, at the 2nd International Congress of Law of Turkic States. The project brings the historical legal traditions of Turkic peoples into a modern context. Participants received copies of his book “The Turkic Symbol of Justice:…
The 2nd International Congress on Law of Turkic States, held on 3–4 November 2026, addressed the common legal heritage of the Turkic world, the development of cooperation in the legal field and issues related to legal integration among states. A particular point of interest during the congress was “Töreana”, a symbol of justice presented by Dr Sami Narter, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences of Munzur University in Türkiye.
On 3 November, during the session entitled “Integration in the Turkic World”, chaired by Hasan Esendağlı, President of the Turkish Cypriot Bar Association and an attorney, Sami Narter delivered an academic presentation entitled “From the Supremacy of Töre to the Rule of Law — The Turkic Symbol of Justice: TÖREANA”.
The Töreana project was developed on the basis of the historical legal traditions and theoretical heritage of Turkic peoples. Its main objective is to express the values characteristic of Turkic legal culture through a contemporary symbol.
Depicted as a woman with open eyes, Töreana represents fair and considered judgement. The scales in her hand symbolise equality of rights and justice, while the staff of töre, featuring the head of a blue wolf, represents independence and the supremacy of traditional law.
The central concept of the project is explained through the principle “Kut’u Töre Tutar”, meaning “Kut is upheld by töre”. This approach maintains that the legitimacy and stability of state authority must be founded on legal principles, and that both the ruler and all other individuals are subject to töre.
Töreana was not designed as a recreation of an ancient goddess of justice. Instead, it is intended as a new symbol that brings together the historical principles of Turkic legal culture and the values of modern society. The project puts forward the idea of creating a shared symbol of justice for the Turkic world.
The presentation delivered at the congress attracted the interest of participants. During the discussions that followed, views were exchanged on the importance of expressing the common legal heritage of Turkic peoples through a unified symbol of justice.
As part of the congress, Associate Professor Dr Sami Narter presented copies of his book, “The Turkic Symbol of Justice: Töreana”, to legal professionals from Turkic states. The publication outlines the historical foundations of Turkic legal culture and the theoretical basis behind the creation of the Töreana symbol.
Among the recipients was Dr Döwran Orazgylyjow, Editor-in-Chief of Atavatan Media and an attorney, who attended the congress representing Turkmenistan.
Presenting the book to legal experts from various Turkic states was one of the initiatives aimed at introducing the Töreana project to a wider audience and encouraging academic discussions on shared legal culture.
Following the conclusion of the congress, Sami Narter visited the headquarters of the Turkish Cypriot Bar Association at the invitation of its president, Hasan Esendağlı. During the visit, he presented the association’s head with a statuette of the Töreana symbol and a copy of the book “The Turkic Symbol of Justice: Töreana”.
The meeting contributed to introducing the project to legal professionals and promoting wider awareness of the shared legal heritage of Turkic peoples.
The 2nd International Congress on Law of Turkic States served as an important platform for studying shared historical legal traditions, discussing contemporary legal issues and strengthening academic and professional ties among legal experts from Turkic states. The Töreana project, meanwhile, attracted attention as an initiative aimed at expressing this common heritage through modern concepts.