İstanbul Bar Association President İbrahim Kaboğlu and 10 board members face criminal charges carrying prison sentences of up to 12 years over their reaction to the killing of two Kurdish journalists in Syria, Turkish Minute reported on Saturday.
The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has prepared a summary of proceedings over its investigation into the leadership of the İstanbul Bar Association, accusing them of “disseminating the propaganda of a terrorist organization” and “publicly disseminating misleading information through the press.” The accusations stem from a December 21 statement by the bar association on its official X account calling for adherence to international humanitarian law following the death of journalists Nazım Daştan, 32, and Cihan Bilgin, 29.
The two were killed in a drone strike near Tishrin Dam, east of Aleppo, on December 19 while covering clashes between Turkish-backed forces and US-supported Kurdish fighters, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The observatory reported that a Turkish drone was responsible for the attack.
Turkish authorities, however, claim that Daştan and Bilgin were not journalists. The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said both men were “members of a terrorist organization” engaged in armed conflict with security forces and were under investigation for alleged “membership in an armed terrorist organization” at the time of their death. The prosecution claims the İstanbul Bar Association’s statement misrepresented the facts and sought to undermine national security.
Following approval from the Ministry of Justice, required under Turkish law to investigate lawyers, prosecutors summoned Kaboğlu and other bar executives for questioning as “suspects.” Upon completing its review, the prosecution prepared a summary of proceedings recommending criminal charges that carry prison sentences ranging from three to 12 years.
The summary of proceedings alleges that the bar association’s statement falsely portrayed Daştan and Bilgin as journalists and accused Turkish security forces of committing war crimes, in a manner that “legitimized separatism.” Prosecutors argue that referring to the deceased as journalists encouraged terrorist group membership and that the bar association’s post promoted the use of violence and threats.
The prosecution further claims that the statement was intended to mislead the public with false information about national security, erode trust in state institutions and incite fear or panic. The document emphasizes the wide circulation of the post on social media and argues that it had the potential “to disrupt public order.”
The New York-based International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) has condemned the legal action against the İstanbul Bar Association, calling it a direct attack on the independence of the legal profession in Turkey.
IBAHRI said in a statement that bar associations play a critical role in upholding human rights and the rule of law and that targeting them for fulfilling their duties is unacceptable. The group called on Turkish authorities to drop all charges against the bar association’s leadership and to respect international legal norms protecting freedom of expression and the independence of legal institutions.
Concerns over the case have deepened following the recent arrest of Fırat Epözdemir, an executive board member of the İstanbul Bar Association. Epözdemir was detained on January 25 upon his return from a visit to Council of Europe institutions, where he engaged in legal advocacy. He faces allegations of “membership in a terrorist organization” and “disseminating terrorist propaganda,” charges that have been widely criticized by the legal community as baseless and politically motivated.
IBAHRI has called for Epözdemir’s immediate and unconditional release, warning that his arrest reinforces fears that the prosecution of the İstanbul Bar Association is part of broader retaliatory actions against lawyers and human rights defenders in Turkey.
The Turkish government has repeatedly been criticized for using broad anti-terror laws to silence political dissent and imprison journalists, lawyers and activists. Since a 2016 coup attempt, Turkey has arrested thousands on terrorism-related charges, often based on tenuous evidence such as social media posts or association with banned groups.
International human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have condemned Turkey for what they describe as politically motivated prosecutions and the erosion of due process. The European Court of Human Rights has ruled against Turkey in multiple cases, finding that it has violated the right to a fair trial and engaged in arbitrary detention.
