Lawyers launch sit-in in İzmir as Erdoğan insists on changing bar associations law

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İzmir Bar Association members staged a sit-in protest last night (June 29) after the police prevented them from marching on Kıbrıs Şehitleri Street.

The lawyers' protest followed President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's remarks that his party's deputies would submit a proposal to change the law on bar associations.

İzmir Bar Association Chair Özkan Yücel said, "express the attack on the bar associations, our demonstration does not contain violence. Although we exercise our constitutional right, we are stopped by law enforcement officers, they are committing a crime, we are here until this barricade is resolved," Evrensel newspaper reported.

Bar association chairs were prevented from entering the capital Ankara on June 22 to protest the planned amendments to the law.

After yesterday's cabinet meeting, Erdoğan said:

"The poor structures of professional organizations, especially those of the bar associations, might lead to fascistic problems for their members in addition to injustice in representation.

"We are dwelling on a multiple administration for bar associations. Our MPs will submit the legislative proposal tomorrow morning (June 30). If God permits, we will put it into practice as soon as possible." (EKN/VK)