It has emerged that a raid on the offices of Turkey’s largest law firm in the aftermath of the country's failed coup attempt last month resulted in several lawyers being taken into custody by police, though it is understood that all have since been released. The website of YKK is currently offline and the firm’s doors are closed, with no information from the firm as to whether it will reopen. The incident is just one of many country-wide raids executed by Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government an attempt to purge the country’s powerful institutions of those loyal to exiled political and religious leader Fethullah Gülen. Despite the government’s suspicions, Gülen has denied any involvement in or connection with the attempted coup in Turkey.   

Former DLA Piper partner

For four years, YKK functioned as the Turkish arm of DLA Piper following a merger between the two firms in 2010. Though the firms parted ways in 2014, DLA Piper has maintained an ongoing non-exclusive relationship with the firm wherein YKK has often provided local support and advice for DLA Piper clients. ‘We are aware that YKK has been closed for over a week and we have been assisting our clients to obtain alternative support where necessary,’ said a spokesperson from DLA Piper.

Sources: Legal Week; Legal Cheek