Supreme board reinstates 198 judges, prosecutors to duty

Oya Armutçu – ANKARA

The Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) has reinstated a total of 198 judges and prosecutors previously suspended as a part of the ongoing investigation into Turkey’s failed coup attempt of July 15.

The HSYK 2nd Office decided on appeal to reinstate 198 judges and prosecutors who had been suspended over alleged links to the movement of U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, believed to have been behind the attempted military takeover.

Among the reinstated judges and prosecutors were prosecutor Mehmet Turan Denizgöçer and his wife Mihriban Denizgöçer, both of whom served in the Central Anatolian province of Sivas.

A lawsuit against Denizgöçer had previously been filed on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan after he likened him to former Romanian leader Nicolae Ceaușescu on Facebook.

In addition, his wife signed a ruling last year stating that a public meeting area in the southern province of Adana should be reserved for the minor nationalist Vatan Party instead of Erdoğan during elections.

The HSYK authorities also said further evaluations of appeals on suspended judges and prosecutors were ongoing.

On Oct. 11, President Erdoğan announced the decision to reinstate suspended judges and prosecutors.

“A total of 3,456 judges, prosecutors and higher judiciary members have been dismissed far, while 198 judges and prosecutors were reinstated as a result of evaluations that allegations against them were baseless,” he said.

On Oct. 5, HSYK had dismissed a further 66 judges and prosecutors over alleged links to the Gülen movement.

Meanwhile, some 109 military judges were dismissed from the Turkish Armed Forces on Oct. 13 over suspected links to the failed July 15 coup attempt, the Defense Ministry has announced.

The military judges were dismissed from their duties in the army according to a decision made by the Military Judges Commission, convened under Defense Minister Fikri Işık.

Among those dismissed were Brigadier Hayrettin Kaldırımcı, a former legal advisor at the General Staff, and Lt. Col. Bedrettin Özgür, a former legal advisor at the Air Forces. Others dismissed included one lieutenant colonel, one major, three captains and a number of first lieutenants and lieutenants.

The investigation into another 10 military judges is also ongoing.

With the latest dismissals, the number of military judges in the Armed Forces dropped to 209, down from 468 before the attempted takeover.

The total number of dismissed personnel from the army has reached 4,048 since the coup attempt.