PodcastIstanbul's second bar association receives its official foundation license
Istanbul's second bar association has received its official license from the Union of Turkish Bar Association (TBB). The pro-government lawyers have collected just over 2,000 signatures required to establish their own association as per a new legislation which was passed by Turkish parliament in July of this year.
Duvar English
The Union of Turkish Bar Association (TBB) on Sept. 25 granted Istanbul's second bar association an official license to run its activities.
Pro-gov't lawyers submit application for second bar association in IstanbulThe foundation license certificate was handed by TBB President Metin Feyzioğlu to Istanbul No. 2 Bar Association founding members Cavit Tatlı, Necati Ceylan, Niyazi Paksoy and Şengül Karslı.
The newly founded bar association released a statement on their social media account saying: “Our application for the foundation of Istanbul New Bar Association with over 2,000 signatures has been evaluated by the TBB Executive Board and the foundation license certificate has been presented to our founders' committee by TBB President Metin Feyzioğlu.”
Following the passage of controversial legislation geared toward the decentralization of Turkey’s bar associations, a group of lawyers close to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) have initiated works to form their own bar associations.
Founding members of the Istanbul No. 2 Bar Association on Sept. 24 handed their petition to the TBB, having collected just above 2,000 signatures.
Pro-gov't lawyers gather 2,000 signatures required for formation of new bar association in IstanbulThe legislation, which was passed by Turkish parliament in July of this year, seeks to split the TBB by permitting the establishment of alternative associations in Istanbul, Ankara, and İzmir, which hold nearly half of all lawyers in the country. It allows bar associations that have more than 5,000 members to split into other bar associations as long as they have at least 2,000 lawyers.
The law also aims to change the election system of the executive board of the TBB in a manner that allows the power of three biggest associations to be broken so that provincial organizations will have more of a say in the lawyers’ agenda.
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) vice chairman Feti Yıldız had announced on Sept. 21 that he registered himself under Istanbul's newly formed bar association. On social media, he had shared a copy of the petition which would be submitted to the TTB on his behalf. The MHP is a junior coalition partner of the ruling AKP.