Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday appointed İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek as justice minister, sparking strong criticism from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).
Gürlek, 44, has overseen investigations targeting opposition politicians, primarily figures from the CHP since taking office in October 2024. The party accuses him of leading a politically motivated judicial crackdown, pointing to prosecutions of its senior officials, most notably İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
Tensions erupted in parliament during Gürlek’s swearing-in, with lawmakers from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and opposition parties confronting each other on the chamber floor.
For the CHP, Gürlek’s appointment confirms what it describes as the political nature of the investigations and the seizure of some of its municipalities through trustee appointments following its sweeping 2024 local election victory.
The pressure on the CHP and its municipalities has intensified since the arrest of İstanbul Mayor İmamoğlu, a senior member of the CHP considered to be the strongest political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He was named his party’s presidential candidate in March for the next general election scheduled for 2028. İmamoğlu is accused of running what prosecutors call a “criminal organization” within the municipality. He has denied the accusations and says they are politically motivated.
Gürlek’s appointment comes as Turkey moves toward the 2028 presidential election, fueling speculation that pressure on the opposition may intensify further.
As justice minister, Gürlek will chair the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK), the body responsible for judicial appointments and disciplinary proceedings. Notably, the CHP filed a complaint against him with the HSK on December 17, 2025.
Several politicians including CHP leader Özgür Özel and İmamoğlu, journalists, and lawyers who have criticized the prosecutor’s conduct in the past have faced investigations.
CHP Deputy Chairperson Gül Çiftci described Gürlek’s appointment as “a reward” for the operations carried out against the party, while senior CHP lawmaker Murat Emir said it was intended to shield him from accountability.
Before the recent investigations involving the CHP, Gürlek has been associated with several politically sensitive cases. As a senior judge, he presided over the trial in which jailed Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtaş was sentenced to more than four years in prison on a propaganda charge, resulting in a political ban.
He also chaired the court that sentenced former CHP İstanbul chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu over social media posts, barring her from political office.
Gürlek was among the judges who delivered verdicts in the long-running trial over the 2007 murder of Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink.
In another controversial case, a court he headed declined to implement a Constitutional Court ruling in favor of opposition lawmaker Enis Berberoğlu, a move that sparked debate over judicial independence and compliance with top court decisions.
He also presided over trials involving lawyers, academics and journalists, including cases against members of the Progressive Lawyers Association and signatories of the “Academics for Peace” petition.
(Stockholm Center for Freedom with reporting by Turkish Minute)
