Turkish lawyer, Elif Hendekci, recounts her and her baby’s harrowing experience in prison. Imprisoned for providing legal aid to dissidents, Hendekci faces abuse and bureaucratic indifference in jail, struggling to protect her daughter amidst a system lacking empathy and basic human rights. Her story exposes political repression and inhumanity within Turkey’s incarceration system post-2016.
Akın Gürlek, Turkey’s new Justice Minister, faces scrutiny over his alleged vast wealth acquired during his judicial career. Opposition leader Özgür Özel claims Gürlek’s real estate assets worth approximately ₺452 million exceed what a judge’s salary could justify, raising serious concerns over judicial accountability.
Ruhi Hallaçoğlu, a Turkish lawyer, became a victim of state oppression following the 2016 coup attempt. He was detained for years under inhumane conditions, with even his legal consultations monitored, yet he continued to fight from his prison cell. He won three cases before the European Court of Human Rights, vindicating his struggle, which should symbolize defiance against the unchecked power of the state.
At the Istanbul Bar Association symposium, Prof. Dr. Adem Sözüer critiqued Turkey’s criminal justice, asserting that unpredictability replaces legal certainty. He identified “off-the-record law” as the current state, emphasizing the need for separation of powers to address the misuse of criminal law for political ends.
A new report documents the ongoing practice of torture and inhumane treatment in Turkey, as well as impunity.
Erdogan appointed Akın Gürlek, Istanbul’s notorious chief prosecutor, as Minister of Justice. Gürlek is now the boss of the judges who will try the indictments he issued against CHP mayors in Istanbul, including Erdogan’s main competitor, Ekrem Imamoglu, during his term as Istanbul’s chief prosecutor.