ANKARA - While the bar associations and lawyers kept waiting under the rain at the city entrance of Ankara, police attacked the lawyers. ÖHD Ankara Branch Co-chair Şevin Kaya was knocked down and kicked by the police.

The heads of Bar Associations from various cities of Turkey embarked on a march to Ankara last week to protest government plans to amend laws regulating lawyers and their associations, including the way they elect the association’s regional chairs. Proposed changes include allowing multiple bar associations in provinces, and a change in the election system, which professional organisations maintain would weaken lawyers’ ability to provide defence services.

The bar heads wanted to enter Ankara on Monday as part of the "Defense March" launched on June 19, but Ankara police stopped the march by barricading a highway leading to the city as the heads of bar associations were pushed and jostled by police. Bar association heads have launched a sit-in after police prevented them to enter the capital Ankara and the sit-in wait of the bar heads continue surrounded by police barricades.

Ankara-based lawyers who arrived to greet the arriving group also joined the protest. However the newly arrived lawyers were also blocked by the police as they wanted to wait together with the bar heads during the evening. There was tension between the lawyers, who reacted to the prevention by the police.

On the other hand, a special construction company, Elya Center officials, who wanted the bar associates to leave the construction site, gathered the workers and waited for a while. The lawyers reacted to this situation as well while the police said, "They want you to leave their private property."

LAWYERS WAIT DESPITE THE HEAVY RAIN

As the waiting of the lawyers continue, it started to rain heavily in Ankara.

LAWYERS ARE KICKED AND DRAGGED

Sporadic scuffles erupted between the lawyers of Ankara Bar Association, who went to meet bar association presidents at the capital’s entrance, and riot police units, after the group started a sit-in where they were stopped. During the police intervention, some of the lawyers fell on the ground and some of the lawyers were battered by the police. Police officers dragged some of the lawyers on the highway.

CO-CHAIR OF THE LAWYERS FOR FREEDOM (ÖHD) WAS ATTACKED

One of the lawyers, who was battered by the police was Şevin Kaya, the Co-Chair of the Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD) Ankara Branch, was knocked down and kicked by the police.

Bar heads chanted slogans against being prevented from entering Ankara. “The defense won’t keep silent,” they said. In addition to the barricades the police surrounded the bar heads with their vehicles. Bar associates are not allowed to be seen or visited by the lawyers waiting outside the police barriers. Neither the bar heads are allowed to pass outside of the barriers, nor the lawyer waiting outside the barriers are allowed to get in and wait together with the bar heads.

The bar associations and lawyers continue to wait under the rainfall.