Bar association chairs are marching to Ankara

Photo: Fatoş Erdoğan/Twitter

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Bar association chairs from numerous cities have launched a campaign after the government hinted at changing the election system of bar associations and the Attorneys' Act.

Accordingly, chairs of the bar associations started today (June 19) a "Defense March" to Ankara and will hold a "standing still" protest in the capital.

Ahead of the march, İstanbul Bar Association Chair Mehmet Durakoğlu made a statement for the press at İstanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan.

"We are going to where our hearts take us. Where our hearts take us is the state of law, the independence of the judiciary, the security of the defense, living humanly and honorably. We are marching to ensure this," he said.

The decisions and the demands of lawyers have been stated as follows:

• An application will be made to the Union of Bar Associations (TBB) for an extraordinary meeting.
• Bar association chairs will start a "Defense March" from their provinces to Ankara.
• Citizens' loss of rights that will occur in case the law proposal is enacted will be explained in a newspaper advertisement on June 21.
• On the day the proposal is submitted to the parliamentary committee, a "standing still" protest will be held by bar association chairs on the road to the parliament.
• Lawyers will work at the parliament for an appeal to the Constitutional Court if the law passes.
• During the examination of the application by the Constitutional Court, lawyers will "stand duty."

Yüreğimizin götürdüğü yere yürüyoruz! Bizim yüreğimizin götürdüğü yer, hukuk devletidir. Hukuk devleti için yürüyoruz! Ankara’ya yürüyoruz! #SavunmaYürüyor!

pic.twitter.com/mT9es3ihDl

— İstanbul Barosu (@istbarosu) June 19, 2020

(AS/VK)