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"A strong, independent and fast–functioning justice system is the most valuable legacy that we can leave to our children,"

"A strong, independent and fast–functioning justice system is the most valuable legacy that we can leave to our children,"

President Erdogan attended the Day of Administrative Justice and the 156th session of the State Council. In his speech at the anniversary ceremony, he said: "A strong, impartial, independent, good and fast–functioning justice system is the most valuable legacy that we can leave to our children. If there is a flaw in this regard, then the total debt of all of us, like 85 million, is to complete it, solve it if there is a problem, and eliminate it."

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took part in the Day of Administrative Justice and the 156th session of the State Council, held in the meeting room of the State Council. He attended the opening ceremony and gave a speech.

President Erdogan, beginning his speech with congratulations on the 156th anniversary of the establishment of the State Council and the Day of State and Administrative Justice, recalled that the last time he met with members of the State Council was on October 3, 2023 at the opening of the training center and the closing of the meeting of the Board of Directors of the International Association of Higher Administrative Judicial Bodies.

Congratulating Zeki Yigit, who was re-elected to the post of Chairman of the State Council, President Erdogan wished him great success and said: "I remember with gratitude all our judges and staff who served under the roof of the State Council for 156 years, starting with the State Council. On behalf of my country and people, I would like to thank the members of the State Council, who have successfully completed their term of office, for their valuable services."

"THE STATE COUNCIL IS A TRUST THAT WE MUST STRENGTHEN AND LEAVE TO FUTURE GENERATIONS"

Stating that the State Council is one of the symbols of the continuity of the traditions of the state, President Erdogan continued: "The State Council shows that the Republic of Turkey is a state with roots in the past. The State Council, which has more than 1.5 centuries of history, is both a legacy left to us by our ancestors and a trust that we must leave to future generations, strengthening it. I hope that we will continue to protect this trust properly. One of the basic principles of the rule of law is judicial control over the activities of the administration. The implementation of this principle depends only on the fact that all types of actions and transactions of the administration are subject to judicial control. The representative of this mission in our country is the State Council."

"AN ACCESSIBLE JUSTICE SYSTEM THAT GIVES CONFIDENCE TO SOCIETY IS THE KEY TO OUR SURVIVAL"

President Erdogan said: "Apart from our positions and titles, as a member of the 85 million population, we all wholeheartedly believe in this fact: just as justice that comes late is not justice, a justice system that gives confidence to society and is accessible is a guarantee of our survival. The inscription "Justice is the basis of property" in all courtrooms reminds us of this truth and shows the importance that our civilization attaches to the establishment of justice."

Stressing that the state is strong and stable as long as it rules fairly, distributes justice and ensures the administration of justice, President Erdogan said that where there is no justice, there will be no peace and prosperity, and the bonds that bind the nation will begin to weaken.

"PROMOTING THE LAW IN ITS OWN WAY IS THE BEST AND SHORTEST PATH TO JUSTICE"

President Erdogan said: "The pain of the young people sent to the gallows by the dictatorial regime on September 12, ostensibly to establish justice, has never subsided. It took years to compensate for the damage done to our legal system by those who applauded the conspirators in chorus during the period of February 28. We continue to bear the brunt of the difficulties caused by those who made an attempt on the judicial system on December 17-25. The high price we paid on July 15th is obvious. At the center of this betrayal, during which we lost 253 of our men overnight, were not only those who held weapons, but also militants in uniforms and dressing gowns. If the conspirators had managed to do this, they would have established new Yassades, shed blood and committed new legal murders."

The statement that the truth that all these painful examples show is that the justice system has been dominated and attacked for a certain period of time by conspirators, oligarchic structures that considered themselves above the nation, and gangs of traitors to FETO for some time, President Erdogan said: "Although these occasional periods when the shadow of guardianship or parallel attention fell on the judicial system have come to an end, their impact on society has continued for a long time. In recent years, the media and social media with their written, visual and digital media have been added to these gatherings. The fact that the media and social media act as a deterrent on behalf of the nation is undoubtedly an acquisition for our democracy, but it should never go so far as to put on the robes of judges, create courts and distribute court decisions right and left. The management of the judicial system, the pressure on our judicial authorities, the persecution of our lawyers in case of making decisions that they do not want, unfortunately, is becoming one of the threats that we face more and more every day. Unfortunately, our judicial system and members are at the forefront of those who have fallen victim to a brutal lynching culture on social media."

President Erdogan continued: "Unfortunately, our members of the supreme judicial authority, judges and prosecutors, who perform a very important, very sensitive and truly responsible task, are sometimes subjected to unfair accusations that go beyond criticism. First of all, I would like to say very clearly that just as the political establishment is not secular, the judiciary is not immune to criticism. We may not like the decisions of the judiciary, we may object to them, we may openly express our dissatisfaction. No one can and should prevent this. People are free to write and share their opinions in various media, provided that they do not praise terrorism, do not encourage violence or insults. It is expected that those who use State power on behalf of the nation will tolerate such harsh reactions within certain limits and consider them legitimate. However, we can never accept the institutional erosion of the judiciary with full understanding and mudslinging of our judicial bodies and members. The progress of law, in its own way, is the best and shortest path to the manifestation of justice."

"IT is WRONG TO INVOLVE THE JUDICIARY IN POLITICAL DEBATES."

"Politicizing judicial and administrative cases, instead of being a matter of law, will cast a shadow on the sense of justice in society, regardless of the result," President Erdogan said, adding that they did not consider it right.

Stating that everyone should help and contribute to the judicial system, President Erdogan said: "I would like to make a sincere appeal to all my people: a strong, impartial, independent, good and fast–functioning justice system is the most valuable legacy that we can leave to our children. If there is a flaw in this regard, then the total debt of all of us, like 85 million, is to complete it, solve it if there is a problem, and eliminate it if there is a blockage. Just as it is wrong for the judiciary to interfere in the affairs of the legislative and executive branches, it is also wrong for the judiciary to get involved in political debates."

Noting that the government, the opposition, the press and civil society must work together to ensure that the judicial system stays away from all kinds of bigotry, interest groups and ideological polarization, President Erdogan said: "We cannot and will not allow narrow personnel representations that protect the interests of a certain group instead of the welfare of the nation." and the welfare of the country, once again rooted in the institutions of our state, including our organization of justice."

"OVER THE PAST 21 YEARS, WE HAVE TAKEN MANY STEPS TO STRENGTHEN THE ADMINISTRATIVE JUDICIAL SYSTEM AND THE STATE COUNCIL"

Recalling that many steps have been taken over the past 21 years to strengthen the administrative judicial system and the State Council, President Erdogan continued his speech as follows: "The number of members of the State Council has been increased and the need for judges has been met. The problem of the support staff of our Supreme Court has been solved. We have increased the number of courts from 146 in 2002 to 221. Recently, we have created 44 additional administrative and tax courts.

In addition, we have created 10 additional chambers of administrative proceedings in the courts of appeal of administrative jurisdiction. We will continue this work by increasing the number of judges and courts. In 2016, we launched an appeal to the administrative justice in 7 regions. In 2020, we increased this number to 8, and in 2021 to 9. If at the stage of creation of regional administrative courts there were a total of 62 departments, including 42 administrative judicial chambers and 20 tax judicial chambers, today their number has reached 90, of which 64 administrative and 26 tax. Thus, the burden on the State Council decreased, the legal protection of citizens increased, and disputes were resolved faster due to more effective judicial processes. We have increased the number of judges working in the administrative judicial system to 2,266 people."

Noting that, despite the heavy workload, the administrative courts and the State Council successfully carry out justice in their field of activity, President Erdogan said: "There are 338 thousand 611 cases in the courts of first instance and appeal, and 114 thousand 224 cases in the State Council. In 2023, a total of 860,494 cases were resolved."

Recalling that since 2009, all higher courts have been meeting the need for modern office buildings, President Erdogan said that the State Council, which has worked for 36 years, received its current building in 2012.

Explaining that last year they presented a new social facility to the State Council, President Erdogan continued: "We have made important legislative changes in order to complete the administrative proceedings faster and better protect the law of our citizens. As part of the requirements, more than 20 amendments were made to the Law on Administrative Proceedings and 16 amendments to the Law on the State Council.

The adoption of the Law on the Right to Information was one of the reforms that expanded the rights and opportunities of citizens in relation to the administration. The right to information was guaranteed by the Constitution in 2010. In addition, in 2010, we abolished all provisions of the Constitution that prevented the exercise of rights. In 2016, we established the Institute of Human Rights and Equality of Turkey, thanks to the 4th Judicial Package, in 2021 we reduced the response time of the administration to applications submitted to administrative authorities from 60 to 30 days. In addition, we have agreed that the final decisions taken by the administrative judicial authorities will be written no later than within 30 days, together with the justification."

"WHILE SECURITY IS THE GUARANTEE OF A STRONG DEMOCRACY, DEMOCRACY IS THE FOUNDATION OF SECURITY"

Stating that all necessary measures have been taken to ensure that the activities of the administrative judiciary in the earthquake zone are not disrupted after the disaster on February 6, President Erdogan said that over the past 21 years, many other regulations have been introduced that protect citizens from the administration, accelerate the functioning of the administrative judicial system and empower members of the judiciary.

Stating that the goal of all the reforms, each of which is a quiet revolution, is to make the principle of the democratic rule of law dominant in Turkey with all its elements, President Erdogan said: "We cannot say that we have fully achieved this goal, but no one can deny that we are very close to our goal. Let's hope that we will go the rest of the way ahead, not giving up, tirelessly and decisively. I want to emphasize that the path we have traveled, overcoming all obstacles, has inspired us with courage."

"WE WILL CONTINUE TO PLAY OUR CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE WITHIN THE EXPECTATIONS OF OUR PEOPLE"

Stressing that this is a government that has paid a high price and overcome many difficulties over the past 21 years on the path of serving the nation, President Erdogan said that they united Turkey with the greatest democratic, developing and legal breakthroughs in its history.

Stating that, despite this, they cannot bring to Turkey a new constitution prepared by civilians, President Erdogan continued his words as follows: "This understanding is included in our proposal for a new civil constitution. We cannot attribute the fact that the 100th anniversary of our Republic was celebrated and adopted with a Constitution that was the result of a coup d'etat, with Turkish democracy. The elimination of this shortcoming by national will be a new milestone in Turkish politics, which will strengthen the strength of our democracy. We do not think it is right for the political establishment to want to remove the need for a civil constitution from the agenda, citing economic and social problems."

Stating that they know that the new constitution will not eliminate problems immediately if it is touched like a magic wand, President Erdogan said: "The new constitution will further accelerate the solution of our country's problems from the economy to social life, expanding the field of civil policy. The intensification of consultative negotiations between the various political parties, along with policy easing, represents an important opportunity in this regard. We hope that Turkish policy will turn this opportunity into a long-term achievement for our country, our people and our democracy. We will continue to play our constructive role within the expectations of our people."

President Erdogan congratulated the State Council on the 156th anniversary and the Day of Administrative Justice.