Istanbul Bar Association executives removed from office

Istanbul Bar Association President İbrahim Kaboğlu and the bar association's board, who were under investigation for allegedly "spreading misleading information to the public," have been removed from office.

The following statement was made:

As a result of the trial conducted following the indictment filed by our Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the removal of the Istanbul Bar Association Board of Directors, the civil court of first instance has terminated the duties of Bar Association President İbrahim Özden Kabaoğlu and the board of directors.

12punto REPORTED ON WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE SECOND HEARING OF THE CASE

Kaboğlu took the floor during the hearing and stated the following:

"We have a request to revoke the interim decision made in the previous session. In the previous session, we stated that Article 77/5 of the Attorneys' Law, which is the subject of the case, is unconstitutional and that you should send it to the Constitutional Court (AYM) in accordance with Article 152 of the Constitution; you rejected this. You did not provide a justification either. Your rejection decision is also unconstitutional. We reiterate our request for you to send the file to the Constitutional Court within the scope of our serious objection regarding unconstitutionality.''

Lawyers representing the Board Members took the floor and spoke.

Attorney Baran Doğan, representing Bar Association Board Member Atty. Ezgi Şahin Yalvarıcı:

"The Istanbul Prosecutor's Office is doing bad things these days. First, they open a criminal case, then a civil case. This has become their procedure. They take the power of the media behind them and poison all the cases. The Prosecutor's Office has taken a hammer in its hand and thinks everyone is a nail. But we will show them that the bar association of 65 thousand lawyers is not a nail," he said.

Detained Bar Association Board Member Atty. Fırat Epözdemir took the floor and said, 'I don't think you can even reject the case without waiting for the criminal case. If you are going to accept this case, it seems you have no other choice! I suppose you have to wait. Do not think that the pressures put on you do not reach our ears.'

Union of Turkish Bar Associations President Atty. Erinç Sağkan said, "This case concerns not 65 thousand lawyers, but 200 thousand lawyers in Turkey. The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office is pressing all the buttons and sees itself as unaccountable," he said.

The hearing was adjourned until 13:30.

The hearing resumed after a half-hour break.

Istanbul Bar Association President İbrahim Kaboğlu: "This case, which aims to discredit and neutralize the Bar Association, violates Article 2 of the Constitution."

THE HEARING RESUMED

The hearing resumed.

Istanbul Bar Association President Kaboğlu: '"There is no intent or reference to an illegal organization in our statement that is the subject of the case. The nature of the statement is determined by the science of human rights, not by the Prosecutor's Office's ideological way of thinking!"

Bar Association President Kaboğlu: "The work of the Istanbul Bar Association is being openly obstructed."

Following the judge's request to summarize his statements, İbrahim Kaboğlu added the following:

'I am not responsible for the filing of this unjust case or for the lack of air in this environment. I did my duty, and I am still trying to finish my statements while sweating.'

Kaboğlu continued his speech with the following expression:

'Was the Istanbul Bar Association perhaps the radish in the expression "the biggest radish is in the saddlebag"?'

The request to postpone the hearing to another day was rejected by the court panel.

Former Istanbul Bar Association President Turgut Kazan took the floor and said, "This case was opened to suffocate the Istanbul Bar Association. What kind of law is this, what kind of judiciary is this!"

The hearing was adjourned.

TIME 18:05

The judge stated that he would not return unless the courtroom was cleared.

The Bar Association Management is holding a meeting on how to proceed.

All lawyers are inside.

The Istanbul Bar Association Management submitted a written request for the judge's recusal.

All lawyers are leaving the hearing.

DECISION REACHED

The Istanbul 2nd Civil Court of First Instance has removed Istanbul Bar Association President İbrahim Kaboğlu and the bar association's board from office.

Istanbul Bar Association President İbrahim Kaboğlu and the bar association's board, who were under investigation for allegedly "spreading misleading information to the public," have been removed from office.

The following statement was made:

As a result of the trial conducted following the indictment filed by our Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the removal of the Istanbul Bar Association Board of Directors, the civil court of first instance has terminated the duties of Bar Association President İbrahim Özden Kabaoğlu and the board of directors.

News Source: 12punto