Türkiye on Thursday reappointed over 4,000 judges and prosecutors in a nationwide reshuffle for the 2024 term to streamline judicial proceedings, including in the earthquake-hit southeastern provinces.
A total of 4,298 judges and prosecutors – including 4,008 in judicial justice and 290 in administrative justice – were reassigned across 20 provinces, including northwestern Bolu, Tekirdağ, central Nevşehir, and eastern Iğdır and Bitlis provinces, the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) said in a statement.
The council said 20 provinces were assigned new chief prosecutors, 45 districts had theirs replaced and seven districts were assigned chief prosecutors for the first time.
Some 152 heavy penal courts were assigned new chief judges, 43 of whom wanted a change of post.
In addition to regional courts of law, the council is moving to start 45 new courts, including 17 penal and 28 justice, across Türkiye.
The aim is to increase the number of courts, its members and the effectiveness of regional courts of law, the council said.
In light of growing lawsuits in Türkiye’s earthquake zone – 11 southeastern provinces leveled by two deadly earthquakes in February last year – administrative courts were set up each in Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman and Gaziantep provinces.
To tackle the annual workload, two more administrative courts will be active in Istanbul and another in the eastern Van province.
“Congratulations and good luck to the judges and prosecutors in their new posts on the facilitation of justice,” Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç said on X after the announcements.
