One-man rule redesigns the judiciary

Politics Service

The Grand National Assembly of Turkey's Joint Constitutional and Justice Committee convened yesterday to select 15 candidates to replace 5 members of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) whose terms are expiring. During the vote for the first candidate, when the required number of votes could not be reached in the first two rounds, the process moved to drawing lots between the two candidates with the highest votes. However, CHP MPs left the committee after AKP MPs demanded a new round of voting instead of drawing lots.

CHP Group Deputy Chair Murat Emir and CHP members of the Joint Committee held a press conference at the Parliament, stating that the Constitution had been violated.

Commenting on the events, CHP’s Emir said: “Tayyip Erdoğan is practically reshaping the judiciary single-handedly—appointing 6 members himself and pushing through 7 members via Parliament with the support of his majority. The HSK is the key body responsible for the appointment, promotion, and relocation of judges and prosecutors. Therefore, it is central to judicial impartiality and independence. Because they now control the HSK, it is no longer possible to speak of an independent and impartial judiciary in Turkey. The structure of the HSK and the extent to which it is free from political pressure are of utmost importance. That’s why we took this process very seriously and came prepared.”

Emir noted that 15 candidates are to be selected for 5 positions, and that the Constitution clearly outlines how this process must be carried out. He stressed that drawing lots had never been applied until now: “What should be done is for Parliament to vote separately on three candidates for each position. If a three-fifths majority is not achieved, the second round concludes, and lots are drawn. But why does the Constitution require this? To ensure consensus—because you are appointing top-level judges. You are selecting the board that will appoint, assign, and remove all judges and prosecutors. So the Constitution calls for agreement.”

Emir concluded: “We are facing yet another lie. Some are claiming that ‘CHP had agreed with AKP until the last day but backed out at the last minute.’ They are trying to impose this unlawful process on the public. This is a lie. No agreement was ever reached.”

Note: This text has been translated from the original Turkish version titled Tek adam yargıyı dizayn ediyor, published in BirGün newspaper on May 8, 2025.