statement that Feyzioğlu was no longer representing them, and requested an extraordinary general assembly. When the TBB administration rejected the request,116 the issue was taken to court. The Ankara 5th Administrative Court considered the TBB administration’s decision unlawful and granted a motion for stay of execution. However, the court’s decision was quashed by the 12th Administrative Law Department of the Ankara Regional Administrative Court upon the objection of the TBB.117 The Ankara March of the Heads of Bar Associations protesting the changes in the law about Bar Associations. July 29th 2020 (Fotography: Sibel Tekin Archive) 116 The TBB Board of Directors’ decision, rejecting 12 bar associations’ request to convene an extraordinary general assembly (in Turkish): Türkiye Barolar Birliği’nin Olağanüstü Genel Kurula Davet Edilmesine Dair Taleplere İlişkinYönetim Kurulu Kararı (08.11.2019; Union of Turkish Bar Associations): https://www.barobirlik.org.tr/Haberler/turkiye-barolarbirligi-nin-olaganustu-genel-kurula-davet-edilmesine-dair-taleplere-iliskin-yonetim--80939 117 TBB’deki olağanüstü kongre süreci ile ilgili mahkemeden yeni karar (23.04.2020; Anadolu Ajansı): https://www.aa.com. tr/tr/turkiye/tbbdeki-olaganustu-kongre-sureci-ile-ilgili-mahkemeden-yeni-karar/1815725 THE ‘DEFENSE MARCH’ A press statement by the Bar Association In early 2020, the government was preparing to take action Presidents against the profession chambers in regard to judicial, medical, during the march engineering and architecture. Many observers saw this as an to Ankara. attempt to limit the power of bodies that are traditionally led by leftist, socialist, and Kemalist cadres. In order to break this opposition, discussions about transitioning to a multi-system were initiated, sparking great controversy. In spring 2020, following a dispute over the Ankara Bar Association’s rejection of a statement118 in which the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) suggested that homosexuals and persons with HIV+ were the cause of the pandemic, the government decided to speed up the process of submitting a bill in line with Turkey’s commitments of judicial reform. The majority of 118 Diyanet İşeri Başkanı Ali Erbaş’ın İnsalığı Bir Kesimini Nefretle Aşağlayıp (26.04.2020): Ankara Bar Association: http:// www.ankarabarosu.org.tr/HaberDuyuru.aspx?DIYANET_ISLERI_BASKANI_ALI_ERBAS%E2%80%99IN_INSANLIGIN_ BIR_KESIMINI_NEFRETLE_ASAGILAYIP_KITLELERE_HEDEF_GOSTERDIGI_KONUSMASIYLA_ILGILI_BASIN_ ACIKLAMASI&=4986 54 A DEFENSELESS DEFENSE FOREWORD 55