The next battle for the Turkish judiciary
No matter who wins the race for seats in the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors, the result will still be far from an “independent and impartial judiciary.”
On October 12, Turkey will have a tiny “election” little noticed outside of the country but eagerly awaited in Ankara. This time, those headed to the ballot box are not ordinary citizens, but judges and prosecutors across the country who will elect almost half of the members of their top institution: the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK), which has the power to appoint, dismiss or investigate all men of law.
The top contenders in the race appear to represent the three poles that reflect the bitter political division in the country: pro-government judges and prosecutors; pro-Gulen movement judges and prosecutors; and pro-secular judges and prosecutors.
