02.11.2026 18:30
Ümit Kocasakal, who was elected president at the 128th Ordinary General Assembly of the Istanbul Bar Association, took over the office from İbrahim Kaboğlu at a ceremony held. At the ceremony, where Kocasakal presented flowers to Kaboğlu, the mutual courtesy and respect between the two figures stood out. The new president thanked the previous administration and gave a message of protecting the bar association's institutional identity and the reputation of the legal profession.
A change took place in the presidency of the Istanbul Bar Association. Ümit Kocasakal, elected president at the 128th Ordinary General Assembly, took over the post from İbrahim Kaboğlu at a ceremony. At the ceremony, where Kocasakal presented flowers to Kaboğlu, the mutual courtesy and respect between the two figures stood out. The new president thanked the previous administration and gave a message about protecting the bar association’s institutional identity and the reputation of the legal profession.
PRESENTED FLOWERS, THANKED FOR HIS EFFORTS
At the handover ceremony held at the Istanbul Bar Association building in Beyoğlu, Kocasakal presented flowers to Kaboğlu, who was handing over his post. Thanking Kaboğlu and his administration for their two years of work, Kocasakal said they saw the post as a relay race.
Kocasakal used the following statements in his speech:
“I thank you once again for your efforts, your administration, your boards and your delegation. We are now taking the baton from you. We will strive to serve as much as we can. I hope that by doing as much as we can and adding something on top, we will, when the time comes, hand this baton over to our valued colleagues who will come after us.”
Kocasakal reiterated his thanks to Kaboğlu and also presented flowers. With the words “What remains under this dome is a pleasant echo. This pleasant echo must always be preserved,” he thanked the previous administration.
“THE BAR ASSOCIATION’S INSTITUTIONAL IDENTITY IS ABOVE EVERYTHING”
Kocasakal, who said they would come together with lawyers of different views in the new term, announced that they planned comprehensive work to solve professional problems. In this context, he stated that they were considering organizing a large workshop and, if necessary, holding an extraordinary general assembly dealing solely with professional problems.
Emphasizing that the institutional identity of the Istanbul Bar Association and the reputation of the legal profession were more important than everything, Kocasakal said, “Even a lawyer’s fight must be conducted in a manner worthy of a lawyer.”
KOCASAKAL WON THE ELECTION WITH 10,227 VOTES
In the presidential election held as part of the Istanbul Bar Association’s 128th Ordinary General Assembly, Ümit Kocasakal won with 10,227 votes. Incumbent president İbrahim Kaboğlu remained at 7,022 votes. Thus, after the 2024-2026 term, the bar association’s new administration term began.