ISTANBUL
Istanbul Bar Association head Umit Kocasakal has criticized plans to give police and prosecutors more powers which were unveiled in the wake of violent protests earlier this month across Turkey.
A government-supported bill introduced on October 21 envisages changes that would give more powers to law enforcement agencies like police and prosecutors.
Turkish police would be granted the authority to impose 24-hour detention on suspects without charge with the approval of a prosecutor or a senior officer.
The proposed changes were announced after days of sustained rioting which left 38 people dead and caused widespread damage. The government claimed that the protests were organized by sympathizers of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, which is listed by Turkey as well as by the U.S. and EU, as a terrorist group.
Speaking in Istanbul on Monday, Kocasakal called on the Turkish government "not to play with the law like a toy" and said the draft bill would roll back reforms. He described plans to change search-warrant requirements from ‘concrete evidence’ to ‘reasonable suspicion’ as "an arbitrary act."
"Laws are formed in accordance with the interests of society and objective needs, not for immediate use of government-political needs," he said.
"Continuity forms the basis of law so it is only subject to change when an impartial need arises. There cannot be any mention of 'package' or 'omnibus bill' under the rule of law," Kocasakal added.
Referring to another article in the proposed legislation, Kocasakal said another change in the bill would make it possible for the government to seize the assets of people convicted of crimes against the constitutional order or attempts to take down the government.
He also criticized the appointment of four allegedly ruling AK Party-affiliated members to the board of country’s top judicial body.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan selected the four members Saturday night.
More than 12,000 members of the judiciary went to the polls to elect 10 permanent and six substitute members of the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors on Oct. 12.
www.aa.com.tr/en
