Lawyers to protest bar associations bill in 81 provinces

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As the "multiple bar associations" bill was approved by the parliament's Justice Committee early in the morning (July 6), bar association chairs who had been protesting the bill in front of the parliament for four days have returned to their provinces.

They will be in the capital Ankara on Thursday (July 9), when the bill comes to the general assembly.

Bar chairs of İzmir, Aydın and Mersin provinces have spoken to bianet about what they will do if the parliament passes the bill.

"A bill of betrayal to Turkey"

"We will call for the withdrawal of the bill," İzmir Bar Chair Özkan Yücel said. "We will once again state that we are ready to meet for a healthy, complete Attorneys' Act."

"However, changing the election system of the bar associations is not on the agenda of the bars. We have no such demand. But apparently, the government needs this.

"Throughout the four days we were in front of the parliament, we wanted to meet with the MPs in the committee but they didn't accept. Because they don't want to face the truth.

"This bill is a project of betrayal to the citizens, to Turkey. It will not bring benefits to this country but will cause great harm. We'll try everything. Tomorrow, we will be on the field with all of our lawyers in 81 provinces. We'll continue demonstrations until the general assembly."

"130,000 lawyers won't allow them"

Mersin Bar Association Chair Bilgin Yeşilboğaz said, "Bar chairs had slept outside, in front of the parliament for four days. This has a meaning. They are trying to do something that will cause trouble for this country. They need to think about what harm they will cause but they don't think about it. We will resist the malignancy they want to do. We will demonstrate the same stance at the general assembly [meeting]."

"130,000 lawyers won't allow the law they want to make. We won't let bars be divided. We won't give up the struggle for human rights, environment, women's rights. The bars will be in the field with their attorneys. We will put up every kind of legal struggle."

"Is Attorneys' Act the only problem in the country?"

Aydın Bar Association Chair Gökhan Bozkurt said they spent four days in front of the parliament with "anti-democratic practices."

"We tried all kinds of ways, tried to open channels, wanted to take part in the Justice Committee, to express our opinions. However, they did not accept. The lawlessness started before the proposal came to the Justice Committee. We have repeatedly released 'Withdraw the offer' declarations. We called on the Ministry of Justice and the President, but they did not want to hear.

"We wanted to hold a rally on Friday. The Security Directorate was notified. While there was no problem, the Governor's Office banned our rally, citing the pandemic. There are much bigger problems this country is currently experiencing.

We are going through a pandemic period, our people die every day. The economy has collapsed, but instead of trying to find a solution to all these, they tried to change the Attorneys' Act, as if the most important problem was the electoral system of the bar associations. This is nothing but madness. There is no example of multiple bar associations in the world." (RT/VK)