Bar heads sit up all night under police blockade

img

ANKARA – Lawyers staged a sit-in protest last night until the morning after their entrance in the parliament was blocked as they wanted to partake in the discussions regarding the bill that would allow Turkey’s bar associations to be decentralized and split into smaller groups.

 
Discussions over the draft bill seeking to change the election system of bars’ administrations and open the way to the establishment of alternative associations in each province have been kicked off in the Parliamentary Justice Commission on July 2. The bar heads arrived in Ankara to attend the discussions, However Parliamentary commission declined the bar head’s and lawyers’ demand to partake in discussions on bar associations bill.
 
Following the rejection of the Jurice Commission, twenty bar association heads have started to wait outside the Parliament building, demanding to partake in Justice Commission discussions over the draft bill. The police encircled the area with safety strips, where bar association heads were waiting. The bar heads sit up all night under the police blockade confining them to an area of less than 20 square meters. 
 
NO JOURNALIST IS ALLOWED TO RECORD!
 
Police allows only the staff to enter the Turkish Parliament, as they block the entrance of the journalists in the area and fend off the journalists behind the police barriers trying to record the bar heads sit-in. Police do not allow the parliament reporters to talk with the bar heads as well. 
 
WHAT DO THE BAR HEADS DEMAND?
 
The bar heads state that they want to partake in the Justice Commission discussions over the draft bill on bars as they demand 5 bar heads to take the stand for 15 minutes of talk each and a delegate representing the bar heads to be present in the session until the negotiations are over. However these demands of the bar heads have not accepted yet. 
 
BAR HEADS CALL FOR THE ‘GREAT DEFENSE MEETING’
 
The Ankara Governor’s Office on July 2 banned all demonstrations and protests in Ankara for 15 days addressing the COVID-19 pandemic as the grounds for that. Doğan Erkan, a member of board of Ankara Bar, stated that the bars are decided to organize their meeting despite the ban and  called for participation to their central demonstration, named “Great Defens Metting” they have announced for July 3 to be held in the Anıtpark, Ankara at 16:00:
 
 “All the lawyers should say no to this bill. Because the bars are decentralized and split via this bill. The government, who labels all the opponents as ‘separatist’ is the one who separates and divides all the social institutions. The bars will use their right of peaceful march declared by the 34th article of the Constitution. Any attempts to block this march will be the violation of the constitution. It will be a professional misconduct. If they try to intervene unjustly, every barricade will be a zone of resistance. If the government violates the Constitution by using the law enforcement as their political power, then the lawyers will not hesitate to use their right to resist.”
 
WHY ARE THE BAR HEADS PROTESTING?
 
Lawyers across Turkey have been protesting against the government’s plan to reform bar associations, saying it aims to silence dissent and will lead to politicization of their profession following the President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's remarks that his party's deputies would submit a proposal to change the law on bar associations.
 

View More Articles

11/07/2025
20:17 Davutoglu: What we must do now is leading the new era
20:12 I hope this step will bring good results says Erdogan
20:09 Bese Hozat: We took this step with a clear decision
17:07 Echo of historic ceremony in Amed: Demand constitutional guarantees for those who lay down arms
16:51 CHP Chair Ozel: Process must be managed in Parliament with swift and decisive steps
16:27 Names of participants in historical ceremony of PKK
16:15 We reached end of our work on commission says Parliament Speaker
16:04 Peace Mothers: The state has no more excuses, it must take action
15:32 Nechirvan Barzani: Important and encouraging step
14:36 People watch historical ceremony of PKK with rapt attention
14:13 Footage of historic ceremony of PKK
14:08 Critical threshold has been passed says AKP Spokesperson
14:07 Founding leadership of the PKK kept his promise says Bahceli
13:21 Details of historic ceremony: Legal regulations needed
12:51 KCK Executive Council Co-chair Besê Hozat led historic ceremony
12:44 First images from historic ceremony
12:29 Delegation leaves the site after witnessing historic ceremony
11:58 Peace and Democratic Society Group: We voluntarily destroy our weapons
11:26 Ceremony to be in Şikefta Casenê
11:12 DBP, HDK, and DEM Party arrive at ceremony site
10:58 People awaiting for the “Peace and Democratic Society Group”
10:02 ‘Dream Travelers’ to commemorated with events: Let’s unite on a common ground
10:00 International delegation heads to ceremony site
09:11 Citizens participating in public meetings: The state must take steps
09:10 Ali Bozan: It’s turn of the state to take steps
09:09 Spent 30 years in prison: Ill prisoners should be release for peace
09:09 Tuberculosis patient prisoner subjected handcuffed examination for 3 years
08:07 Delegation on the way to Sulaymaniyah for ceremony
10/07/2025
16:35 He releases from prison after 30 years: We will continue the struggle
16:04 Journalists heading to PKK ceremony: We will witness historic moments
14:35 Call against increasing repression by the Iranian regime
12:33 People set off from Amed for PKK's ceremony
12:22 Censorship of Ajansa Welat by Instagram
12:19 Future of process depends on the government's attitude says Journalist Er
10:42 She lost 2 children during conflicts: Commission must be established, steps must be taken
10:29 Sile Municipality Mayor Kabadayı detained
10:26 Call from Roboskî to mothers of soldiers: If we join hands, peace will come
10:13 KCK: We are determined to take the step Leader Apo has asked of us
09:27 Nature of Şirnex to be plundered with 10 new energy activities
09/07/2025
22:04 Ocalan's video message celebrated in North and East Syria
21:46 Details of the Damascus meeting: 10 March agreement must be fully implemented
21:21 Abdullah Aksu releases from prison after 31 years
21:05 DAANES and transitional government meeting ends
16:38 Mayor Karalar and Deputy Mayor Sahin dismissed
16:19 Roadmap of Ocalan for solution will contribute to shaping future says DBP Co-chair
15:40 DEM Party will be in Sulaymaniyah on 11 July says Aysegul Dogan
15:15 AANES Delegation to meet with transitional government
14:21 After 26 years Amed citizens heard Öcalan: Urgent steps must be taken
13:58 Abdullah Öcalan’s historic call echoes in international media
13:42 Politicians and intellectuals to depart for ceremony in Sulaymaniyah