In an exclusive interview for Medya News on Monday, Eren Keskin, a prominent figure from Turkey’s Human Rights Association, offered a critical assessment of the country’s recently introduced Eighth Judicial Reform package. Keskin argued that the package does not introduce any innovation to Turkey’s judicial system. Instead, it appears to consolidate existing authoritarianism by undermining the constitutionality of certain legal provisions.
Keskin highlighted the package’s reinstatement of a previously annulled penal code article (220/6), concerning the committing of a crime on behalf of an illegal organisation without actually being a member. The Constitutional Court had previously nullified this article, stating that such a crime could not exist. However, the reform package redefines it in a manner that circumvents the court’s decision, effectively maintaining the provision through legal loopholes. This action, Keskin argues, is a direct affront to the spirit of the Constitutional Court’s annulment.
Furthermore, Keskin pointed out that the package not only superficially amends article 220/6 but also introduces a similar provision in article 314, concerning membership of an armed organisation. This double standard, according to Keskin, is indicative of a legal sleight of hand intended to perpetuate the state’s crackdown on individuals associated with or sympathetic to Kurdish political movements, regardless of their actual involvement in illegal activities.
Keskin’s critique extended beyond these amendments to a broader condemnation of the approach to justice and human rights of the current Turkish government. She argued that the last decade has seen a significant regression in freedom of expression and association, particularly impacting those affiliated with the Kurdish community or expressing dissent against the state’s official narrative.
Moreover, Keskin shared her own personal experience with the legal system, where, as throughout decades of nonviolent human rights advocacy, she and others have found themselves prosecuted on charges meant for members of armed organisations. This strategy, she suggests, is indicative of a governance model predicated on fear, aiming to silence dissent by labelling critics as terrorists.
The Eighth Judicial Reform package, Keskin concluded, represents not reform but a regression in legal and human rights standards in Turkey, in contradiction even of the state’s own highest court. It highlights a grim trajectory towards increasing authoritarianism, where legal reforms serve not to enhance justice but to consolidate power and suppress opposition.