19 February 2010 / TODAY’S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
A group of lawyers from the Law and Democracy Platform, an NGO working to strengthen the rule of law while respecting democratic values, protested against the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) decision to strip prosecutors conducting a probe into jailed Erzincan Chief Prosecutor İlhan Cihaner of their special authorities.
Lawyers gathered in front of the Kadıköy Courthouse in İstanbul on Thursday to speak out against the HSYK and its decision, which Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin said showed the need for immediate judicial reform. Talking on behalf of the group, Gökhan Bozkurt denounced the board and asserted that its decision was a blow not only to the ongoing investigation but also to the workings of the entire judiciary.
“We understand from this rushed decision that constitutional assurance for judges and prosecutors does not really exist,” he said, drawing attention to the harm done to the impartiality and independence of the judiciary. “We now have a serious problem related to democracy. Unfortunately both democracy and law have been harmed greatly [as a result of this decision],” he said. The group then peacefully dispersed.
