Salih Murat (Albanian: Sali Murati) is a politician, lawyer and former President of the Constitutional Court of North Macedonia who represents the Turkish community of the country. He is the first person of Turkish origin to be elected to the presidency of the Constitutional Court^【1】 and was elected as a member of parliament in the 2024 elections, assuming an active role in politics. He is recognized for his work in public service, law and minority rights. Salih Murat is married and the father of four children.

Salih Murat was born in 1966 in Vrapčište, a village under the municipality of Gostivar. After completing primary and secondary education, he pursued higher education at the University of Belgrade, graduating in 1991 from its Department of International Law. In the years following the completion of his legal education, Murat continued his professional career in various fields but encountered difficulties advancing in public service due to his ethnic identity^【2】. Despite this, he maintained his expertise in law and participated in civil society activities. He played a key role in establishing the Union of Turkish Civil Society Organizations of Macedonia, contributing to the organization and representation of the Turkish community.

Elected to the Constitutional Court of North Macedonia in 2012, Salih Murat worked in areas including constitutional rights, multilingualism, citizenship rights and minority policies. On 30 October 2019, he was elected President of the Constitutional Court, becoming the first person of Turkish origin to hold this position in the country’s history. His presidency lasted from 1 November 2019 until 2021. After completing his nine-year term on the court, he stepped down and continued his work in academic and social fields^【3】.

^{President Erdoğan Receives the President of the Constitutional Court of North Macedonia (}Anadolu Agency⁾

In the 2024 general elections, Salih Murat entered the Assembly of North Macedonia as a member of parliament for the 11th term, elected from the list of the Alliance for Rights and Democracy. In his parliamentary work, he brought to the agenda issues such as the representation of the Turkish community, the implementation of multilingualism, the expansion of the official use of Turkish in local administrations, the strengthening of Turkish language education in schools and access to public services^【4】. Due to the legislative proposals he submitted, the questions he raised, his activities in committees and his participation in plenary sessions, he was identified in an independent assessment covering the first half of 2025 as one of the most effective members of parliament in the country^【5】.

Salih Murat has consistently emphasized in public statements and political activities the need to address the educational, linguistic, representational and cultural rights of the Turkish population in North Macedonia. While acknowledging that the Turkish language is constitutionally recognized as a right, he has pointed out practical limitations and initiated efforts to expand its use in local administrations. He regularly requested information from municipalities regarding the use of Turkish in public spaces, on signage, in official correspondence and in meetings, ensuring compliance with legal provisions^【6】.

He raised in parliament the issue of Turkish-language classes not being opened and students being deprived of Turkish education. In the context of preserving cultural heritage, he conducted awareness campaigns with relevant institutions to protect Ottoman-Turkish historical structures. He supported initiatives to provide sermons and religious education in Turkish, contributing to the strengthening of Turkish-language religious services in areas with significant Turkish populations^【7】.

^{Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan Receives MP Murat in Skopje (}Anadolu Agency⁾

Salih Murat advocates for the constitutional representation of the Turkish community in North Macedonia’s multicultural structure and for equal participation in public life. He emphasizes that the Turkish language is a fundamental element of community identity and actively promotes efforts to expand its use. In his parliamentary speeches, he has addressed challenges faced by the Turkish community, including discrimination in public life, inequality of opportunity in education and underrepresentation in institutions^【8】.