Erdogan appoints controversial prosecutor as justice minister

Türkiye

Erdogan appoints controversial prosecutor as justice minister

Erdogan is reshuffling his cabinet, causing outrage among the opposition. Because the new Minister of Justice already made headlines as a public prosecutor.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has appointed the Istanbul prosecutor general, known for his tough crackdown on the opposition, as justice minister. Akin Gürlek is replacing the previous Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc, it said in a statement published in the official gazette.

The personnel is highly controversial. In parliament, the opposition protested against the swearing-in and there were tumults. As justice minister, Gürlek is also chairman of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors, which appoints lawyers to courts.

Gürlek was Istanbul’s prosecutor general for more than a year, during which time he ordered numerous investigations against politicians from the largest opposition party, the CHP, including the deposed Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. The Erdogan opponent has been in custody since March last year.

Gürlek had also opened an insult case against Imamoglu because, among other things, he said that the prosecutor’s mind was “rotten.” Imamoglu was then sentenced to one year and eight months in prison for insulting and threatening a public official. The main trial against Imamoglu on corruption charges begins in a month.

CHP deputy chairwoman Gül Ciftci sharply criticized the occupation. Gürlek’s appointment was a clear reward for the action against her party, she wrote on

Erdogan also appointed the governor of Erzurum province, Mustafa Ciftci, as interior minister, replacing Ali Yerlikaya. It is the first cabinet reshuffle since the parliamentary and presidential elections in 2023.