4,000 judges and prosecutors dismissed, justice minister says

Some 4,000 judges and prosecutors have been dismissed as part of a probe against the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) since the July 15, 2016, coup attempt, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ said May 26.

"More than 4,000 judges and prosecutors were removed from the profession due to membership, contact or affiliation with FETÖ in the Turkish judiciary," Bozdağ said.

Bozdağ made the comments in a ceremony addressing Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) members during which new public prosecutors will be chosen by the casting of lots.

"The first place which started fighting FETÖ was the Turkish judiciary. It was the members of the organization who experienced and saw the unlawfulness, injustice and threat within their own organization," Bozdağ said.

"After the HSYK elections, this struggle continued in accordance with the law," he said, adding that the board had completed the initial process concerning the "cleansing of FETÖ members from the judiciary."

"The HSYK has finished its investigation. There are no judges and prosecutors who have not been examined yet," he said.

"Of course, due to the structure of this organization [FETÖ], there is no possibility to say that there will be no further examinations [later] because this organization has a very unique terror cover," he said.

With the constitutional amendment approved on April 16, the HSYK's name was changed to the Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK), while the number of members was reduced from 22 to 13. The change will go into effect when the current members' term ends on June 7, 2016.
 

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