Demotion for the prosecutor who pursued the Sinan Ateş murder case: Critical appointments at the HSK

The HSK has announced its 2024 main decree for judicial and administrative judiciary. Requests for reassignment from 4 thousand 9 judges and prosecutors in the judicial branch have been finalized.

In the HSK's judicial decree, Durdu Özer, the Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor of Ankara who was removed from his post while conducting the investigation into the murder of former Ülkü Ocakları President Sinan Ateş, was appointed to the Ankara Regional Court of Justice as a 'regional prosecutor'.

Journalist Alican Uludağ shared the following regarding the removal on his social media account:

"The insider information turned out to be true. Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor Durdu Özer, who was removed from his post for pursuing the Sinan Ateş murder case, has now been removed from the Ankara Courthouse."

PROSECUTOR DURMUŞ ALİ KAYA, REMOVED FROM THE SINAN ATEŞ FILE, APPOINTED TO DIYARBAKIR

In another post, Alican Uludağ reported that Durmuş Ali Kaya, another prosecutor removed from the file alongside Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor Durdu Özer, who was removed for pursuing the Sinan Ateş murder case, has been appointed from Ankara to the Çınar Prosecutor's Office in Diyarbakır.

DEMOTION FOR TABUR, WHO DISPLAYED HIS ARSENAL

Oktay Tabur, who displayed his arsenal, was demoted and appointed as a judge in Karşıyaka.

Oktay Tabur, who made headlines with photos showing him displaying his arsenal in the 'rest room' at the İzmir Courthouse, was demoted from his position as President of the İzmir Heavy Penal Court to a judgeship in Karşıyaka.

HSK HAD LAUNCHED AN INVESTIGATION; SILIFKE CHIEF PUBLIC PROSECUTOR ESKİLER APPOINTED TO AKSARAY

Silifke Chief Public Prosecutor Selman Eskiler, who made headlines with photos of him alongside Alihan Kuriş, the leader of the Süleymancılar community, was appointed as a public prosecutor in Aksaray.

Eskiler's photo had become a topic of discussion on social media, leading the HSK to launch an investigation.

MEMBERS OF THE PANEL THAT SIGNED THE REASONED DECISION IN THE ÇORLU CASE REASSIGNED

The members of the court who signed the reasoned decision in the Çorlu train accident case were also reassigned. Prosecutor Bahtiyar Gövce from the Çorlu 1st Heavy Penal Court was appointed to the Küçükçekmece Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. Judges Halil Özbilen and Ülkü Özbilen were appointed as judges in Uzunköprü, Edirne.

DEMOTION FOR THE CHIEF PROSECUTOR WHO FORCIBLY REMOVED A LAWYER FROM A RESTROOM

Kaş Chief Public Prosecutor Gökhan Feyzoğlu, who made headlines after having lawyer Hakan Tüzen forcibly removed from a restroom by security police at the Kaş Courthouse in Antalya, was demoted and sent to Afyonkarahisar. Antalya Bar Association lawyer Polat Balkan shared the incident report and said, "This is an open call to the Minister of Justice: Read this report and assign a gold-plated toilet to the Antalya Kaş Chief Public Prosecutor!"

Mustafa Duran, President of the Karabük Heavy Penal Court, who oversaw the case of the Gabonese student Dina, who was found dead in the Filyos Stream in Karabük, was appointed as President of the Düzce Heavy Penal Court.

NOTABLE APPOINTMENTS FROM THE KOBANI, ABDULLAH ZEYDAN, AND HAKKARI MAYOR CASES

Barış Karakurt, one of the members of the Ankara 22nd Heavy Penal Court that oversaw the Kobani case, in which former HDP Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş was sentenced to 42 years in prison, was appointed as a member of the Diyarbakır Regional Court of Justice.

Erhan Çavuşoğlu, a court member who signed the revocation of the finalized ban on rights, which led to the non-issuance of the certificate of election to Abdullah Zeydan, who was elected Mayor of Van Metropolitan Municipality, was appointed as President of the Diyarbakır 5th Heavy Penal Court. The HSK had launched an investigation into the Diyarbakır 5th Heavy Penal Court, which issued the decision to restore Abdullah Zeydan's banned rights.

Birtan Şeker, President of the Hakkari 1st Heavy Penal Court, where Hakkari Mayor Mehmet Sıddık Akış, who was replaced by a trustee, was sentenced to 19 years and 6 months in prison, was appointed to Zonguldak.

DEMOTION FOR CHIEF PROSECUTORS OF 7 CITIES

Erzurum Chief Public Prosecutor Hüseyin Tuncel, Kırıkkale Chief Public Prosecutor İbrahim Keskin, Uşak Chief Public Prosecutor Serdar Durmuş, Kırşehir Chief Public Prosecutor Soner Aygün, Karabük Chief Public Prosecutor Koray Kesgin, Kırklareli Chief Public Prosecutor Hazım Aslancı, and Bolu Chief Public Prosecutor Ali Keleş were demoted and appointed as prosecutors at the Court of Cassation.

THE JUDGE INSULTED BY THE MHP MP WAS ALSO REASSIGNED

The place of duty of Ramazan Kaya, the Pınarbaşı Judge and District Election Board President who was insulted by MHP Kayseri MP Baki Ersoy during the March 31 elections, was also changed.

According to the 2024 Main Decree for Judicial and Administrative Judiciary, Ramazan Kaya was made a judge in Bozüyük.

In the March 31 local elections, CHP candidate Deniz Yağan won the election in Pınarbaşı, Kayseri, the hometown of Alparslan Türkeş, with 33.30 percent of the vote. MHP candidate Menduh Uzunluoğlu, who remained at 31.18 percent, objected to the result. Subsequently, it was decided to renew the elections.

CHP's Oğuz Kaan Salıcı had shared footage of MHP Kayseri MP Baki Ersoy on his social media account.

In the footage shared by Salıcı, who wrote "I am sharing it uncensored" on his post, the moments when MHP MP Ersoy used profanity after telling the judge "I am an MP" on election night caused a major backlash.

STATEMENT FROM THE HSK

The statement from the HSK included the following:

The work regarding the 2024 Main Decrees for Judicial and Administrative Judiciary by the First Chamber of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors was completed and finalized as of June 13, 2024.

Colleagues who wish to request a re-examination of their appointments made by the decree must submit their requests via the UYAP personnel screen by filling out the explanation section under the title "Judge/Prosecutor Appointment Request Form" no later than the end of the workday on Monday, June 24, 2024, without waiting for notification, in order to ensure their status is finalized as soon as possible.

Our colleagues do not need to send physical petitions. (Those who are not at their duty station must send them via UYAP through the courthouses in their current locations.)

After our colleagues' re-examination requests reach the Decree Bureau, information regarding the receipt of the appointment request forms will be sent to the relevant parties via message to the phone numbers they provided in the form within 24 hours (or the first following workday if it falls on a weekend or public holiday).

Our colleagues who were not appointed by the decree do not have the right to request a re-examination.

The announcement regarding the receipt of our colleagues' requests for permanent authority will be made separately after the re-examination requests of the decree are concluded.

It is planned that the appointment notifications for our colleagues will be sent starting from Monday, July 1, 2024.

We wish our appointed colleagues success in their new positions and hope that the decrees will be beneficial to our colleagues, their families, our judicial organization, and our country.

MINISTER TUNÇ ANNOUNCED

Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç said in his post, "We have completed the work on the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) 2024 Main Decree for Judicial and Administrative Judiciary. The decree will be published on our HSK website (http://hsk.gov.tr) shortly.

I wish our judges and public prosecutors appointed to their new positions success in the administration of justice. May the decree be beneficial for our judges and prosecutors and their families, our judicial community, and our country."