A response came from the Istanbul Bar Association to the joint condemnation statement issued by 15 bar associations following the video sharing made by Galatasaray Sports Club after the Amedspor match.
The following statements were used in the statement made by the bar association:
"The joint statement, which was shared with the public as "Joint Statement from Regional Bar Associations" on 08 November 2026 and signed by 15 bar associations, was carefully followed by our Bar Association.
First of all, we would like to point out that; It is a requirement of being a nation that we share our pains as well as our joys and joys. It is our common responsibility to stand against the exploitation of pain and human sensitivities ingrained in the social memory, and against the use of sports as a tool for discriminatory language and an antagonizing understanding of competition.
However, it is not correct to present the "yellow bag" image, which is the subject of the joint statement, as a symbol that is agreed upon by all segments of society through a "selective perception" and represents common pain and collective mourning. Likewise, it is unacceptable to attribute this meaning to every yellow bag or similar object with extreme resentment and to exploit this situation to present a show of power and challenge. Moreover, the relevant club has made the necessary statement.
No one's pain, loss or human value should be underestimated. However, while on the one hand, social memory is defined through a "selective" evaluation and perception, on the other hand, ignoring the "collective memory" and pain of different segments of society, such as martyrs, veterans, terror victims and their families, is also a test of sincerity. Even the expression "mutual respect" in the statement is not compatible with the consciousness of being a nation. As the Great Leader stated, "The people of Turkey who founded the Republic of Turkey are called the Turkish Nation."
The ethnic emphasis in the statement and the expression "Dersim Bar Association" do not serve the "social peace", "will to live together", brotherhood and citizenship consciousness which is the expression of a common sense of belonging, are contrary to the unitary structure based on the nation-state, and may give a clue about the real purpose. In the Republic of Türkiye, there is no province named "Dersim" and therefore no bar association named "Dersim Bar Association". The name of that province is Tunceli and its bar association is "Tunceli Bar Association".
We would like to remind you that according to the unchangeable Article 3 of our Constitution, “The State of Türkiye is an indivisible whole with its country and nation. “The language is Turkish.” These are the carrier columns of the state. This founding architecture cannot be changed. No one should play with society's nerve endings by ignoring social sensitivities on this issue.
In this context, bar associations are not the representative office of a particular ethnic, cultural or regional identity. Therefore, the main distinguishing factor is that bar associations located in a certain region, based on a geographical region, create an ethnic or regional-based identity for themselves. This is extremely worrying. The main thing is that bar associations act together on a national basis, not on a regional basis.
The reason for existence of each bar association of the Republic is; To protect the Republic, the legal profession, the right to defense, the rule of law and the right to a fair trial. Defining professional organizations based on geographical or ethnic affiliations, especially in a unitary state based on the concept of nation, is incompatible with the universal nature of the legal profession and also brings the unifying power of professional organizations into question.
For these reasons, we invite everyone to common and sincere sensitivity towards all kinds of human suffering, to understand each other, to sincerity, not to exploit events, to respect the founding architecture of the Republic of Turkey, which is expressed in the first three unchangeable articles of our Constitution, and not to play with the nerve endings of the society.
