In line with the instructions of AKP Chair and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the draft law, which aims to change the election system and the structure of the bar associations expected to be brought to the agenda of the parliament next week. The bar associations, who declared a joint statement on June 17, stated that they would exercise their right to protest if the draft was not withdrawn. On June 19, the bar associations of 41 cities began a march towards Ankara. The march will be completed tomorrow in Ankara.

 

The presidents of the bar associations of Urfa, Mardin, Diyarbakır and Van who met in the Urfa on the 2nd day of the march, evaluated their march to Mezopotamya Agency (MA). 

 

AYDIN: AN EQUAL AND A FREE COUNTRY

 

Noting that their march targets justice, the rule of the law, freedom and equality, Diyarbakır Bar President Cihan Aydın said, "Our negotiations with the authorities of the governments ended in nothing. Therefore we decided to march to Ankara and we began this march with 40 bar presidents. We will arrive in Ankara on Monday. Our demands is the withdrawal of the change in the advocacy act. Again, we have a call for rights, law and justice for all citizens."

 

ELİK: THEY WANT THE VOICE OF THE ONE TO RULE

 

Mardin Bar President İsmail Elik stated that the government narrowed down all the areas in the social life where any objection could be raised such as the civil society, the human rights' associations and women's associations. "There are only few institutions left that defends human rights and the rule of the law. Bar associations are among them. They try to re-design the bars changing and manipulating articles 76 and 95, which regulates the authorities given to the bars and the lawyers. That means, they want the voice of the one to rule the bars as well. This is what we oppose to," said Elik.

 

UÇAR: THE FUTURE OF THE COUNTRY WOULD BE DARK

 

"The purpose of our march is the independence of the judiciary, a strong judicial system, a democratic law and a state where all the principles of universal law are put in place effectively," said Van Bar President Zülküf Uçar. As he expressed that the current law is imposed on them, Uçar said, "The bars give effective and result-oriented efforts against the violations of rights and this is what disturbs them. They aim to stop the bars to struggle for human rights. If there are no institutions defending human rights, the future of the country would be dark. We stand and march against the darkness. We hope that our efforts would yield results. This country needs bright days."

 

ÖNCEL: BARS MARCH FOR THE RULE OF LAW IN TURKEY

 

Supporting the idea that if any regulation is to be made on the law, this should be with the cooperation of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations, academics and a committee of the government, Urfa Bar President Abdullah Öncel said, "The government is about the bring the law draft next week in the parliament. With this, they aim to neutralize the bars. Against the new law draft 40 bar presidents decided to march. We have used our democratic protest right for the withdrawal of this law.  Bars march for human rights so that women are not exposed to violence and that children are not exposed to abuse. Bars march for rule of law in Turkey."

 

MA / Barış Polat