Lawyers’ ‘justice’ march to Cumhuriyet: Unwitnessed even under 12 September

Ten of our columnists and managers have been remanded in custody in the operation to silence Cumhuriyet newspaper. As the operation attracts ever greater outrage, a large number of lawyers congregated at the Istanbul Judicial Complex in Çağlayan.
 
 
The lawyers, coming together under the slogans "Cumhuriyet is our honour" and “Freedom for lawyers”, presented a petition objecting to the detentions at the Istanbul Judicial Complex in Çağlayan and held a march to our newspaper.
 
Bahri Belen, attorney-at-law, making a statement on behalf of the lawyers who gathered in front of our paper’s head office building in Şişli, pointed out that there remained no legal security in Turkey. Belen, saying, “We presented an objection petition today over your detained colleagues. In fact, before Cumhuriyet, various newspapers and magazines and television and radio stations have been closed. And there have been frequent arrests and detentions of lawyers acting as the honourable representatives of various organisations that champion rights,” continued, “The place where we find ourselves is really far darker than we would hope for.”

“THIS DID NOT EVEN HAPPEN UNDER 12 SEPTEMBER”
Belen, saying, “When we look at the grounds in the remand orders that have been issued, and when we examine our journalist friends’ statements, we see judicial procedures being conducted that are ungrounded and unlawful to an extent unwitnessed until today, perhaps even in the 12 September period,” continued as follows: “This march to justice in the interests of legal security for all will push our patience and strength to the limit.”
 
 
AYDIN ENGİN: WE SEARCH IN VAIN FOR THE LAW
Our columnist Aydın Engin, who was arrested and then released in the Cumhuriyet operation, said in a statement he made at the lawyers’ demonstration, “We have no trouble finding lawyers, but we search in vain for the law.”