Lawsuit filed to remove Istanbul Bar Association leadership over 'terrorism' charges

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has filed a lawsuit seeking the dismissal of Istanbul Bar Association leadership from their positions, demanding the election of a new management.

Wednesday January 15 2025 03:05 am

Duvar English

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on Jan. 14 announced that it had filed a lawsuit seeking the dismissal of Istanbul Bar Association President İbrahim Kaboğlu and members of the executive board from their positions, with the demand for a new management election.

This followed an investigation on the board members into allegations of "making propaganda for a terrorist organization" and "publicly disseminating misleading information."

The investigation was based on a post on the bar association’s social media accounts asking for an investigation regarding the murders of journalists Nazım Daştan ve Cihan Bilgin in Syria.

Last week, Erinç Sağkan, President of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB), expressed strong opposition to the investigation launched by the Istanbul Prosecutor.

Speaking in front of Çağlayan Courthouse, Sağkan stated, “We will all see who will be condemned in the face of history. For 147 years, the Istanbul Bar Association has neither feared nor bowed down; it has courageously stood by rights, law, and justice. It will continue to do so in the future.”

The Istanbul Bar Association criticized the investigation against its board, calling it “legally flawed.” They highlighted that the process began without consulting the board members or obtaining permission from the Justice Ministry, as required by law.

The association argued that the subsequent approval request to the Ministry on Dec. 25, 2024, was “merely symbolic” and violated both the Attorneyship Law and the Constitution.

They also condemned the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office for naming the board members as suspects early in the process, stating this action breached the presumption of innocence and unfairly targeted the leadership in the public eye.

Prosecutor’s statement

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued a new statement regarding the investigation and announced that a lawsuit had been filed on Jan. 14.

The statement asserted that the Bar Association’s Dec. 21, 2024, X post praised outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) members and accused state officials of war crimes, “aligning with the propaganda goals of the terrorist organization.”

Following an investigation launched on these grounds, the leaders provided their statements on Jan. 7, and the case file was sent to the Justice Ministry for prosecution approval.

According to the the statement, the court were required to announce its verdict in three months.

Istanbul Bar appeals to investigation process

The Istanbul Bar Association has also filed a lawsuit with the administrative court seeking the annulment of the Justice Ministry’s "investigation approval" regarding the process.

In its statement, the Bar Association emphasized its “constitutional duty to defend human rights and the rule of law.”

"Being subjected to unlawful procedures that violated the right to a fair trial from the very beginning, the Istanbul Bar Association executives refused to provide statements. Prior to their appearance at the Prosecutor’s Office, they did not make any public statements. Committed to upholding the rule of law under all circumstances, the Istanbul Bar Association’s administration has been compelled to resort to legal action against the unlawful procedures and actions targeting the Bar's legal entity,” the bar association stated.