WASHINGTON, April 5, 2023 — The American Bar Association stands in unison with lawyers and legal professionals in Turkey and around the world today in observance of Lawyers’ Day in Turkey.
The Union of Turkish Bar Associations has set aside April 5 each year to honor the vital role lawyers play to promote the rule of law. Turkish lawyers continue to be under attack for doing their jobs. In December, the Turkish authorities placed lawyer Günay Dağ on a “list of wanted terrorists” for performing his professional duty. This act and the arrests and attacks on other lawyers for protecting clients’ rights is in direct violation of international law and standards.
In February, the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE), which represents the bar associations and law societies of 46 European countries, called on Turkey to take all necessary measures to guarantee that all lawyers in Turkey can carry out their professional duties without fear of reprisal.
The ABA unwaveringly supports the professional independence of our colleagues in Turkey and all lawyers around the world who face attack and persecution for carrying out their sworn responsibility and upholding the rule of law.
The ABA is the largest voluntary association of lawyers in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.