Union of Turkish Bar Associations plays key role in retrial debate

Oya ARMUTÇU ANKARA - Hürriyet

TBB head Metin Feyzioğlu met President Abdullah Gül Jan. 3 and is set to hold a meeting with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Jan. 4. AA photo

Turkey’s judiciary must revisit convictions given in the Ergenekon and “Balyoz” (Sledgehammer) coup-plot cases and terminate special courts while sending cases back to general courts, the head of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB) has said, bringing his organization to the forefront of attempts to clarify the confusion surrounding the cases.

“Our proposal is not an amnesty or conditional release which will humiliate those who say they are innocent,” TBB head Metin Feyzioğlu said.

Feyzioğlu outlined a seven-point proposal to rectify the situation, including moves to abolish special courts and send cases to general authorized courts; overturn the rulings of special courts with legislation that will encompass non-finalized rulings; require retrials by law; abolish anti-terror courts; provide compensation for unjustified arrests and sentences; abolish “catalogue crimes,” in which a variety of crimes are brought together under a single bundle, while terminating arrests for unjustified catalogue crimes; an organization for judiciary police should be established.

Following a meeting with Feyzioğlu, President Abdullah Gül ordered his experts to examine the proposals. The president will share his views with public if needed.

If the government embraces the proposals, then they will be implemented, the president said, according to sources.

Feyzioğlu will meet Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Jan. 4 to present his proposals.

In the meantime, a parliamentary commission established by the government in order to release jailed deputies will gather on Jan. 6. The TBB’s proposals will be evaluated at the commission, sources from the Justice Ministry said.