May Day call from the Istanbul Bar Association

The Istanbul Bar Association issued a statement regarding May 1st titled, "Let us meet at the May Day rally for the rights of the defense and labor."

The statement, which declared, "We will be at the rally in Kadıköy together with unions and professional organizations," included the following:

"May 1st is the historical memory of the labor struggle and a symbol of solidarity. As it is all over the world, this day in our country is not just a celebration; it is also significant in terms of keeping historical memory alive, ensuring the visibility of labor, and expressing the rights, demands, and collective rights of all professional groups who earn their living through labor, especially workers.

We are entering May 1st, 2025, in our country amidst lawlessness rarely seen in history. Elected officials, politicians, young people, and all citizens demanding democracy, law, and rights are being detained in early morning house raids and arrested en masse, with the law being disregarded."

"WE WILL BE AT THE MAY DAY RALLY IN KADIKÖY"

"One of these unlawful acts is the failure to implement the European Court of Human Rights' decision dated November 27, 2012, with Application Number 38676/08, and the Constitutional Court's decision dated October 12, 2023, with application number 2016/14517, as well as the closure of Taksim Square to the working class and unions by an administrative decision. As the Istanbul Bar Association, we emphasize once again that no administrative action can be above the Constitution and fundamental rights. Constitutional rights cannot be restricted, and sites of historical memory cannot be closed by arbitrary administrative decisions. The rule of law must be upheld not only in texts but also in practice. On this occasion, we call upon all relevant institutions, especially public authorities, to act in accordance with ECHR and Constitutional Court decisions and universal human rights standards.

On the other hand, 'worker-lawyering' is becoming increasingly widespread, and our colleagues are becoming impoverished and even unemployed. The defense is under a major attack. Lawyers are being detained solely on the grounds of their professional activities, prevented from acting as defense counsel in files, subjected to judicial control measures, and arrested. Our colleagues are not even being allowed into police stations or courthouses, and they are being attacked at enforcement sites and on the streets.

On this May 1st, which we are entering under these conditions, we will be at the May Day rally in Kadıköy together with unions and professional organizations. We invite all our colleagues to meet under the Istanbul Bar Association banner to defend the rights of the defense and labor and to participate in the May Day rally."

News Source: 12punto