‘They open malls and hammams, but prevent lawyers from protesting’

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Shortly after 30 bar associations announced that they would hold a "Grand Defense Rally" in Ankara on July 3 and protest the bill foreseeing the establishment of more than one bar in a city, the Governor's Office released a statement today and announced that all meetings and demonstrations will be banned in the city for 15 days "due to COVID-19 pandemic."

Antalya Bar Association Chair Polat Balkan, Bursa Bar Association Chair Gürkan Altun and Urfa Bar Association Chair Abdullah Öncel have spoken to bianet about the issue and noted that the ban is against the law and the Constitution. "There are a thousand ways to wage a struggle, we will never give up. This decision is the visible state of fascism," they have emphasized.

The three bar chairs have commented on the ban as follows:

'We are determined to use our Constitution rights'

Antalya Bar Chair Balkan: "Everyone knows the story behind this decision of the governor's office. They do not let us use our Constitutional rights. They are trying to do everything they can to stop us. These decisions are the visible state of fascism, it is unconstitutional, it is against the law.

"If they do not come back to their senses, we will be just a state with a Constitution. However, we will no longer be a Constitutional state. We are, as legists, determined to use our Constitutional and legal rights."

'This process won't end if the law is enacted'

Bursa Bar Chair Altun: "Our Ankara Bar Association Chair Erinç Sağkan had meetings with the security forces about the rally. It was indicated that only the ones who had cards of attorneyship or internship could attend it. We accepted it as well; however, today, Ankara Governor's Office is trying to prevent our rally with an unlawful decision.

"Just 24 hours before our it, we are told that we cannot hold a peaceful rally. They refer to pandemic as the reason. You open shopping malls and hammams, but prevent lawyers from protesting. Is it a plausible decision?

"Even if they want to hinder our rally, there are a thousand ways to wage a struggle. Even if the law is enacted, this process will not end, we will keep struggling. No lawyer and legal organization will accept this law."

'They put forward reasons to split the bars'

"They are putting forward various reasons to split the bars, they claim that we cannot train quality interns. They will supposedly manage to do it with a multiple bar system, these are all excuses.

"While the number of law faculties was 12 or 13 in 2011, there are now 132 faculties in Turkey. It is not us who opened these faculties. It is not us who educate the students at law faculties. If someone cannot learn something in four years, how can we do it in a year? A person who passes the first university entrance exam can study at the law faculty of a foundation university. The cause of structural problems does not lie in us."

'They cannot prevent our rally'

Urfa Bar Chair Öncel: "We will - of course - resist the decision of the governor's office. The aim of the decision taken by the office is obvious: They are trying to stop the rally. They did not let us get on the TV and they are now trying to pass a law without asking what we think. And we will be on the squares to make our voices heard, they will be unable to prevent it.

"Now, lawyers and bar association chairs from several provinces of Turkey are coming in large groups to Ankara. We will not give up." (RT/SD)