Following extensive discussions at the Supreme Court of Appeals, Erinç Sağkan, the head of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TUBA), addressed the media with a call to uphold the rule of law and the importance of individual applications for the citizens of Turkey.
Sağkan firmly stated the necessity of implementing the decisions of the Constitutional Court concerning violations of rights resulting from individual applications, emphasizing the significance of these decisions for the protection of personal freedoms. He articulated concerns about a growing perception that these rulings were being ignored, a situation he declared intolerable.
Highlighting the integrity of the Constitutional Court, Sağkan pointed out that safeguarding citizens’ fundamental rights is a paramount responsibility and that the reputation of the Court must be maintained.
During his speech, Sağkan revealed that TUBA representatives had met with the deputy chairman of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors and had submitted a request for the initiation of disciplinary proceedings against the officials of the 13th High Criminal Court of Istanbul. The request also included the temporary suspension of these officials in accordance with Article 77 of the Judges and Prosecutors Law.
He criticized the 13th High Criminal Court for transferring a case directly to the Court of Cassation without proper examination and adherence to the Constitutional Court’s decision. This action, he argued, was a grave error.
In the aftermath of consultations with the judiciary’s top officials, including the President of the Court of Cassation and the Chief Public Prosecutor, Sağkan reported their shared sentiment on the urgent need for the judicial system to navigate out of current turmoil. They expressed their own dissatisfaction with the status quo and reiterated the importance of individual applications as a critical right for Turkish citizens.
Concluding his consultations with the judiciary, Sağkan announced that TUBA had submitted a formal request for the enforcement of sanctions that would mandate the withdrawal from duty of the president and members of the third chamber who were signatories to the contentious decision. This move underscores the ongoing efforts to ensure judicial accountability and the protection of individual rights within Turkey’s legal system.
