Ruşen Gültekin: 'There is no democracy without an independent judiciary'

The CHP Istanbul Provincial Presidency, following the appointment of Gürsel Tekin as a trustee, has sparked debates that have brought the issues of judicial independence and the rule of law back to the center of the agenda. Lawyer Ruşen Gültekin described the process as a "legal absurdity" and drew attention to the vital importance of an independent judiciary in democracies.

Gültekin stated the following in his remarks:

"Do you understand now why the judiciary must be independent? Do you understand now the consequences of the disappearance of the rule of law? What has enabled this situation since last night is a 'precautionary' decision that 9 courts rejected but the 10th court accepted, deciding on the merits (!) of a case before it was even heard in court. Trust in justice in Turkey is at around 15 percent. Those who did not comply with various Supreme Court decisions yesterday, and those who remained silent, are now saying 'comply with a precautionary decision' from a single-judge court that has not even heard the merits of the case and is not even final."

Stating that trust in law and justice in Turkey is steadily declining, Gültekin underscored that the most fundamental pillar of a democratic order is an independent and impartial judiciary. He warned that the erosion of the rule of law would have severe consequences not only for political parties but for all segments of society.