Yarkadaş: “AKP, with the last appointments, have converted courts into provincial headquarters.”
CHP Istanbul Deputy Barış Yarkadaş has made public that eight hundred lawyers that are also members of AKP have been appointed as judges, the day before. Yarkadaş stated that many names from the list were either province heads or district heads.
The test results were announced
“Lawyer-to-judge transfer interview results” of the Ministry of Justice have been announced the day before. While many individuals who got over 80 from the written test have failed, a number of others who got between 55-60 have passed the interview.
CHP Istanbul Deputy Barış Yarkadaş who reacted to the appointments, said “The biggest injustice takes place at the Ministry of Justice.” Yarkadaş also stated that AKP’s efforts to establish a “party state” is still ongoing in the judiciary, and pointed out:
“Based on the information I have received from contacts within the justice system, there is a really dark scenery regarding the lawyer-to-judge transfer examinations. They have made public the results after the referendum… Just so there wouldn’t be any arguments regarding the staffing, they have waited until the referendum was over. What kind of a staffing process there has been can be seen from the interview and appointment results. Lawyers who got an 80 from the written examination are being disregarded. Others who got 55-60 on the other hand, pass the interview. The only specialty that these individuals have is that they are members of AKP… AKP, by appointing its’ staff as judges, is trying to keep the judiciary under control.”
They have paved the way through a statutory decree
Yarkadaş who argued that AKP has paved the way to staff their members within the judiciary through a statutory decree, said “They have put together an exam after stating that there is vacancy for 1500 judges. Interestingly, they have only recruited 900. 800 of that 900 are members of AKP.” Yarkadaş also stated that the judges who were appointed the day before, were also called for an “unofficial interview” by the Ministry of Justice. CHP’s deputy used the phrase, “There is vileness over vileness.”
Yarkadaş who named several of the individuals that were appointed the day before, continued with the words:
“Around thousand lawyers enter the interview as AKP members or heads. Eight hundred of them, despite their lower scores from the written tests, easily pass the interview. When you look at the names you understand why. An example to these names is Kadir Nozoğlu… Nozoğlu was AKP Elazığ Central District Head… He is a judge as of yesterday…”
“Why would a tax champion lawyer would want to become a judge?”
Yarkadaş also listed a number of other names he was able to confirm:
“Another one of these names is Behice Çavuşoğlu… This lady was AKP Giresun Woman’s Branch Head… Ms. Behice, after becoming a member of AKP, has become a tax champion in Giresun several times… Nevertheless, she decides to become a judge, a profession that pays eight thousand TL per month… Apparently; she will be given the option to either become a member for Judges and Prosecutors Board (HSK) or the Supreme Court.
Another example; Ceyda Bozdağ, Edirne Central District Head… Hacer Alan, Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Melih Gökçek’s lawyer… And hundreds of more names like these… AKP, simply turned courts into district headquarters. The entire public will suffer the consequences for AKP’s actions…”
The is no justice
Yarkadaş stated that after the last appointments, the confidence level towards the justice system has dropped to lower than thirty percent and added “If there is no justice, there is nothing.”
Yarkadaş indicated that the biggest fear of AKP officials is to be tried and said “They are trying to keep the judiciary under control in order to avoid being prosecuted for their crimes.”
The justice has been clouded
Yarkadaş stated that they are dubiously appointing previous AKP members as judges, to intimidate the opposition, and said “An individual who criticized Erdoğan or AKP will be tried by these judges… Justice wouldn’t prevail under these circumstances! These individuals would be vengeful and would act in a partisan manner. Justice would become a tool for vengeance. That would be the worst part of it.”
The State Council President’s daughter is at the Palace
Yarkadaş argued that the news regarding the State Council President’s daughter who is also a lawyer is interning at the Palace haven’t been refuted yet and used the phrase “The judiciary with all of its’ organs is going through a decay.” Yarkadaş also drew attention to the fact that the State Council denied CHP’s application and added “The relationships have become so intertwined; I would have been shocked if there was a different outcome.” Yarkadaş also criticized State Council President’s visit to Binali Yıldırım yesterday.
Yarkadaş who reminded that members of the higher judiciary have gone to collect tea along with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said “Now this team has been expanded. From now on, the judges who were AKP heads could also join the tea collecting squad.”
