59 bar associations issued a joint statement regarding the dismissal of the Istanbul Bar Association’s executive board as well as the wave of investigations, detentions, and arrests targeting the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.

The statement read: "We declare to the public that we will not bow to the unlawful order being imposed by disregarding the rule of law, and that we will continue to defend democratic values."

The right to vote and be elected has been effectively abolished

The statement emphasized that the rule of law and the independence of bar associations are indispensable pillars of a democratic society. It continued: "Unfortunately, the outcome of the case concerning the dismissal of Istanbul Bar Association President Lawyer Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özden Kaboğlu and the Board of Directors, as well as the statement issued by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the investigation launched against the Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Ekrem Imamoğlu, several district mayors, and municipal officials, have shaken our justice system to its core. These developments, marked by rights violations during the investigation process, the use of secret witness statements lacking concrete evidence, baseless accusations lacking any causal connection, and unlawful pre-trial detention practices, have generated deep public concern as part of a process that undermines legal security and the right to freedom. With the detentions, arrests, and dismissals of elected officials, the will of the voters has been disregarded, and the right to vote and be elected has been effectively abolished."

We will not bow down

The statement stressed that the dismissal of elected bar association presidents and administrators, along with the detention, arrest, and their replacement by government-appointed trustees, has seriously undermined the Republic of Turkey’s character as a democratic state governed by the rule of law. It continued: "We, the undersigned bar associations, declare our full support for the Istanbul Bar Association and our colleagues in their struggle for the independence of bar associations and the rule of law. We affirm that we will continue to resist all forms of unlawfulness within the legal framework; we stand firmly against the instrumentalization of the judiciary, efforts to silence bar associations, violations of the right to a fair trial, and the arbitrary restriction of individual freedoms. We respectfully inform the public that we will not bow to the unlawful order being imposed by disregarding the rule of law, and we will continue to defend democratic values."