Turkish bar associations are revolting against Government’s unlawful pressure on the judiciary and the legal profession as a whole. Over 50 bar associations representing 95% of all Turkish lawyers are slating the Court of Cassation over its decision to hold… Read More ›
Turkish Judiciary’s the highest ranking bureaucrat, Selahattin Menteş who is undersecretary of the Justice Minister and former chair of the Inquiry Commission for State of Emergency Measures has been appointed to the Turkish Constitutionalists Court.
Mr. Mentes is a controversial name because of his affiliation with extremist cleric Nurettin Yildiz and lunatic hate-speech giver Kadir Misirlioglu.
Another controversial aspect of this appointment is that Mr Mentes is the former chair of the Inquiry Commission for State of Emergency Measures. During his term he signed thousands of decisions dismissing appeals of those who were purged under Emergency Decrees. Mr Mentes, as a Constitutional Court judge, will now have authority to consider appeals lodged against his own decisions.
By today’s appointment, the number of the members of the Constitutional Court who have been appointed by Erdogan has increased to seven out 17.
The government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan secretly investigated the family members of lawyers who were perceived to be critical of the regime including their spouses and children. The targeting of family members of critical lawyers and human rights… Read More ›
#Turkey #Solidarity to #Defend the #Defenders 590 #Turkish #lawyers have been #arrested. 1546 lawyers have been subjected to #prosecution. Since July of 2016, 182 lawyers have been #sentenced. 34 #CSO of lawyers #dissolved
Presidential Decree No:5 of which name is Presidential Decree as to the State Inspection Institution regulates (article 1) that Turkish Presidency has authority to inspect Bar Associations, Professional Organizations, Trade Unions, Chambers of Commerce, Employer and Employee Unions, Association and Foundations. Moreover, any senior inspector of the D.D.K. would be able to suspend the chairperson, and the board members of the aforementioned entities should the inspector decides that it is necessary for the soundness of the inspection or the public weal.
So far, in Turkey, 162 lawyers have been sentenced of terrorism related accusations, and mainly of being the member of an armed terrorist organization. Twenty one of those who have been sentenced are member of the Istanbul Bar Association. Istanbul Public Prosecutorial Office has been prosecuting 503 lawyers, of those 147 have been arrested and so far at-least twenty one members of Istanbul Bar Association have been convicted.