Drug operation against 12 lawyers in Denizli, including the Bar Association President... Sharp reaction from the Bar

According to the information obtained, teams from the Denizli Provincial Gendarmerie Command's Anti-Narcotic Crimes Branch conducted an operation at addresses identified in the Pamukkale and Merkezefendi districts as part of a drug investigation carried out by the Denizli Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. During the operation, 12 lawyers, including Denizli Bar Association President Ufuk Kök, were detained, and searches were conducted at the Denizli Bar Association and the homes and workplaces of the lawyers using sniffer dogs.

Within the scope of the operations, Bar Association President Ufuk Kök and lawyers registered with the bar, E.E., V.S.B., M.O.A., O.S.O., Y.K., K.O., O.F.S., C.S., F.K., B.T., and E.B., were detained on charges of 'using drugs and providing a location for drug use.' During the searches at the addresses, 0.3 grams of cannabis were found at the residence of Bar Association President Ufuk Kök, while 50 grams of cannabis, 57 synthetic pharmaceuticals, 200 grams of hemp seeds, 2 cannabis grinding devices, 2 cannabis plants, various climate control materials, drug paraphernalia, and an unlicensed shotgun were seized at the addresses of the other suspects.

The detained suspects were taken to the Provincial Gendarmerie Command for questioning. The gendarmerie teams searching the suspects' addresses determined that a cannabis plant was being grown in the bathroom of a law office and that the harvested drug was being dried on a hanger in a wardrobe.

The 12 lawyers, including Bar Association President Ufuk Kök, were referred to the forensic medicine department for blood and urine tests.

STATEMENT FROM THE BAR: "WE WILL NOT REMAIN SILENT AS THE PRESUMPTION OF INNOCENCE IS UNDERMINED"

The Denizli Bar Association issued a statement regarding the operation that took place in the morning hours. The statement included the following: "However, in a system where the rule of law prevails, it is mandatory for investigative authorities to act in accordance with the law and to respect fundamental rights and freedoms in their operations. Nevertheless, the process experienced today contains serious legal and institutional problems that cannot be evaluated merely as a judicial investigation." The statement made by the Denizli Bar Association is as follows:

"This morning, within the scope of an investigation conducted by the Denizli Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, detention procedures were carried out against many of our colleagues, including the President of the Denizli Bar Association; searches were conducted in the residences and offices of the lawyers, and a search was also carried out in the Denizli Bar Association Presidential Office.

First and foremost, we would like to state that no one is above investigation in a state governed by the rule of law.

Lawyers, like all other citizens, are subject to the oversight of the law. However, in a system where the rule of law prevails, it is mandatory for investigative authorities to act in accordance with the law and to respect fundamental rights and freedoms in their operations. Nevertheless, the process experienced today contains serious legal and institutional problems that cannot be evaluated merely as a judicial investigation.

Although it was stated that there is a confidentiality order on the investigation file, the simultaneous release of footage and information regarding the moments of the operation to various media outlets and social media accounts; the opening of the file content, which even we, the defense, have not yet accessed, to public debate; and the conduct of the investigation in the public eye without regard for the presumption of innocence and the right not to be stigmatized is unacceptable.

Even more grave is the search conducted in the 'Presidential Office' of the Denizli Bar Association. The Bar Presidency office is not just a physical space where one person works; it is a symbol of the institutional representation of the defense, the independence of the legal profession, and the principle of the rule of law. Targeting this office with methods and images that create a perception of guilt in the public eye is an intervention directed not only at the individuals involved but directly at the defense profession and the bar institution itself.

In the face of the special safeguards provided by the Attorneys' Law regarding the searching of law offices and the constitutional principles regarding the independence of the defense profession, the legality of the operations carried out must be meticulously evaluated. It is impossible for any practice aimed at discrediting the defense to be compatible with a state governed by the rule of law.

As the Denizli Bar Association, we clearly state that; regardless of the content of the ongoing investigation, we will not remain silent as lawyers, the bar institution, and the presidential office are targeted in the public eye, as investigation processes are turned into media operations, and as the presumption of innocence is undermined.

The defense is one of the founding elements of a democratic state governed by the rule of law. When the reputation of the defense is damaged, it is not only the lawyers who suffer, but the entire justice system. The Denizli Bar Association is following the investigation process in all its aspects and with great attention. Necessary legal initiatives will be taken decisively regarding every action deemed to be contrary to the law; all legal avenues will be used to the end to protect the rights of our colleagues, the honor of the defense profession, and the institutional reputation of the Denizli Bar Association. NO ONE is above the law. However, no one can be discredited through extra-legal methods either.

Necessary legal processes will be initiated without hesitation against anyone who shares or leaks operation footage, photos, or even materials allegedly found during searches on social media in a file with a 'confidentiality order,' thereby violating the confidentiality of the investigation.

Today, we declare once again: Bar associations are not just professional organizations, they are fortresses of the law. No power will be able to instill fear in the fortress of the law, silence the defense, or succeed in muffling the voice of justice. The Denizli Bar Association, as it has in its deep-rooted history, is at its post today with all its organs as it was yesterday.

Respectfully announced to the press, the public, and all colleagues who struggle for the honor of the profession."

News Source: 12punto