http://dx.doi.org/10.59704/d644887ea40c5884 https://verfassungsblog.de/tuerkey_barassociation_ruleoflaw/ Criminalising the Legal Profession - The Case against the Istanbul Bar Association Balamir Coşkun, Gülçin Tombuş, Ertuğ eng 2025-04-24 electronic resource text/html ddc:342 Anwaltskammer Demokratie Rechtsstaatlichkeit Rule of Law Türkei Demokratie Türkei Verfassungsblog Verfassungsblog--2366-7044 CC BY-SA 4.0 Lawyers and bar associations in Turkey have long faced political and legal pressure. The court case against the Istanbul Bar Association that led to the dismissal of its executive board and the criminal prosecution of board members is another troubling instance of such pressure. The case exemplifies how authoritarian regimes increasingly criminalise lawyers and professional organisations that speak out against rights violations.