Karadağ: Government wants to create its own bar associations

2020-05-14 13:39:47


	ANKARA - Stating that intervention in the bar associations and professional chambers will harm the essence of the right to defense, Mustafa Karadağ, the former President of the Judges' Union, said the government aims to create its own bar associations.

	After the Ankara Bar Association's statement on the Presidency of Religious Affairs, the discussions on the selection method of the bar associations and professional chambers, brought up by AKP President Tayyip Erdoğan, continue. Mustafa Karadağ, the former President of the Judges Union, recalled that the same discussion was on the agenda in 2014 when AKP was still acting with Gülen community.

	 

	Saying that the only field that the government cannot conquer is non-governmental organizations and professional chambers, Karadağ said: "These professional organizations create serious opposition. From the chambers to the bar associations, they are creating a lot of legal challenges when the government never expects. The government can't handle it."

	 

	Stating that the chambers of professions and bar associations fulfilled the role of opposition to the government on legal grounds, Karadag added that a lot was achieved through these organizations. 

	 

	Stating that the AKP wants to place the religion at the base of the state and attempts to do this through some statements from time to time because it can not do it directly, Karadağ said: "They want to achieve this by provoking the society, especially the women, children and trans gender individuals. Ankara Bar reacted lately to the statament of the Religious Affairs, and rightly so. There is a duty the constitution gives to the bar associations and Ankara Bar fulfilled this duty.

	 

	Defining the intervention to the bar associations as a capturing operation, Karadağ said that there were no issues with the election process of the bars and professional organizations, and that it is done through a method with a high level of participation and representation. "This has never been an issue until now and the government has a problem with it" said Karadağ who also added that this intervention is made as a result of a grudge.

	 

	THE ESSENCE OF DEFENSE WILL BE DAMAGED

	 

	Stating that lawyers cannot remain silent in theface of violations of rights and illegal procedures, Karadağ said: "Therefore, these changes the government wants to make will damage the essence of the defense. The independence of the judiciary goes through the independence of lawyers and judges. An dependent and non free defense cannot stand against lawlessness or interference by political power."

	 

	 

	MA / Berivan Altan