Ankara Bar Association head resigns three months after taking office

Duvar English

Kemal Koranel has resigned as chair of the Ankara Bar Association three months after taking office.

Koranel’s resignation comes after three chairs of separate boards in the bar association’s management that supported him for his election were removed from their posts.

The three were removed on accusations that they had used means bestowed to them as chairs before they took office.

The bar association had been embroiled in tension after the association failed to publish a report prepared by the Human Rights Center two months ago on alleged torture at the Ankara Police Department.

The executive board of the bar association also ordered over 10,000 members of the bar to pay a monthly fee within 15 days without Koranel’s knowledge and approval.

Koranel said the developments happening outside his powers were an “operation” against him.

Koranel said in his resignation that he did not want to be complicit in “dirty politics” being executed in the bar.