Istanbul discusses impact of sanctions and AI on international arbitration — Anadolu Agency
In Istanbul, Türkiye, participants in Istanbul Arbitration Days 2026 discussed the impact of geopolitical changes, sanctions and artificial intelligence on the resolution of cross-border disputes. The conference was held at Çırağan Palace and brought together international arbitration specialists, who also considered ways to speed up procedures and reduce their environmental impact, Anadolu Agency reports.
President of the Istanbul Arbitration Centre Ziya Akıncı said that the institution handled 263 cases last year, while the number of proceedings and the amounts in dispute continue to grow. Construction disputes accounted for the largest share. According to him, the centre also handles cases involving exclusively non-Turkish parties and disputes unrelated to Türkiye. Under the expedited procedure, 86% of cases were completed within the established three-month period.
Sanctions and enforcement of arbitral awards
Asari Legal lawyer Yevheniia Nieverova said that sanctions can affect the choice of arbitration institution and seat of arbitration, payments, the engagement of lawyers, experts and arbitrators, as well as the enforcement of an arbitral award. According to her, parties should take into account from the outset the location of assets, the possibility of enforcing an award and receiving funds.
She noted that under sanctions restrictions, even funds awarded to the winning party may remain in a frozen account. IAS Partners partner Ceyda Akbal Schwimann drew attention to differing approaches to sanctions and award enforcement across jurisdictions, including different rulings in the United Kingdom and Switzerland in similar cases.
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AI and faster procedures
Ercüment Erdem, founder of Erdem & Erdem, said that institutional arbitration is moving away from excessive formalism toward more active case management. According to him, reforms are increasingly focused on speed, efficiency, early consideration of individual claims and adapting procedures to a specific dispute.
International arbitrator Dominic Spencer Underhill recalled cases in which AI-generated legal materials contained fabricated or inaccurate references to legal sources. He stressed that lawyers must retain the independence of their professional judgment. Erdem added that AI can reduce costs and delays, but its use should not undermine confidentiality, due process or an arbitrator's personal responsibility for a decision.
Separately, participants discussed reducing arbitration's environmental footprint through digital processes, less paper use and assessing the carbon impact of proceedings. Ziya Akıncı also mentioned the centre's initiatives to use more environmentally friendly materials and plant trees.
