Following the court year’s opening ceremony boycott of 42 bars in Turkey, an objection was also voiced in the Court of Cassation, the institution which organizes the event. Nearly 20 members of the High Court decided not to attend the ceremony on “individual judgment”.
One member to the Court expressed the reasoning behind as “Conducting the court year opening in the Presidential Complex which is the center of the executive body in the State would damage the independence of the judiciary. We are against holding of this ceremony under the supervision of the chairperson of a political party. The ceremony should be carried out on a location far from the influence of the politicians.”
Since the coup attempt on 15th of July, 2016 the Presidency of Court of Cassation has been holding the court year’s opening ceremonies in the congress and culture center located in the Presidential Palace. Likewise, the Court Year’s Opening Ceremony for 2019-2020 is to be held in the Palace on the 2nd of September.
The High Court has sent invitations to the Union of Bar Associations of Turkey (TTB) and presidencies of 79 Bars in Turkey pursuant to the event. Criticizing the Court, 42 bars refused to be present in the ceremony that is to be held in the Palace, including the bar associations of Istanbul, Ankara, İzmir, and Diyarbakır, corresponding to nearly %90 of the attorneys throughout Turkey. Yet, despite being criticized by its affiliates, the Union (TTB) decided to participate in the event as President Metin Feyzioğlu was announced to make a speech before the attendants. Izmir Bar Association objected to TTB, stating that the institution did not represent them.
