ANKARA - After 43 bar associations across Turkey have announced that they will not attend the legal year opening ceremony at the Presidency, 20 members of the Supreme Court of Appeals have decided to boycott the ceremony.

 

20 members of the Supreme Court of Appeals have announced that they will not attend the legal year opening ceremony at the Presidential Complex in the capital city of Ankara on September 2.

 

43 bar associations across Turkey previously announced that they would not attend the opening ceremony, either.

 

In its answer to the bar associations, the Supreme Court of Appeals, the organizer of the legal year opening ceremony, criticized the decision of the associations, referring to their accusations as "unjust and immoderate". "It is surely beyond doubt that these accusations will not have any return from the conscience of the society", the Supreme Court has indicated further.

 

'A ceremony away from the influence of politicians'

20 members of 380-membered Supreme Court of Appeals will not attend the legal year opening ceremony "out of personal preferences".

 

Speaking to Alican Uludağ from the daily Cumhuriyet, a member from the Supreme Court has stated, "We are against holding this ceremony under the watch of the chair of a political party."

 

The member of the Supreme Court of Appeals who wanted to remain anonymous has stated that s/he agrees with the statement of the bars:

 

"Around 20 high judges will not attend the ceremony. It is not an organized decision. It is a decision taken in an entirely personal manner, it is a decision taken by everyone on their own. I do not want to go. My personal choices and the legal culture that I have acquired require that.

 

"Holding a legal year opening ceremony at the Presidential Complex, which is the center of the executive, will harm the independence of judiciary. I will not attend it, as required by the principle of judicial independence.

 

"In fact, the place is not important. The Presidency is a place of the state. But, we are against doing it under the watch of the chair of a political party. We do not have to hold it in luxurious hotels, either. The ceremony should be held in a place away from the influence of the politicians."

 

What happened?

 

Since the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016, the legal year opening ceremonies have been held in the Congress and Culture Center at the Presidential Complex in Beştepe, Ankara.

 

This year's ceremony will also be held there on September 2. Accordingly, the Supreme Court of Appeals sent letters of invitation to the Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB) and 79 bar associations.

 

The first bar association that turned down the invitation was the İzmir Bar, which stated, "We wish that you will also free themselves."

 

This statement was followed by the letters of rejection released by İstanbul and Ankara Bar Associations.

 

As of 11 a.m. on August 21, 43 bar associations in total have announced that they will not attend the ceremony are as follows:

 

Adana, Adıyaman, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Artvin, Aydın, Balıkesir, Bilecik, Bingöl, Bitlis, Bolu, Bursa, Çanakkale, Denizli, Diyarbakır, Düzce, Eskişehir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Iğdır, Isparta, İstanbul, İzmir, Kırklareli, Kocaeli, Kütahya, Malatya, Manisa, Mersin, Muş, Muğla, Ordu, Sinop, Şanlıurfa, Şırnak, Tekirdağ, Tunceli, Trabzon, Van, Yalova, Zonguldak.

 

As for the TBB Chair Metin Feyzioğlu, he has announced that they will attend the ceremony. Feyzioğlu will also hold a speech there.