Turkish prosecutors have launched a fourth investigation into Özgür Özel, leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), over his criticism of Istanbul’s controversial chief prosecutor, involved in an ongoing crackdown on his party, Turkish media reported.
The Ankara Chief Prosecutor’s Office said Thursday that Özel is accused of “insulting a public official” and “making threats” against Istanbul Chief Prosecutor Akın Gürlek.
The charges stem from a speech Özel delivered at a rally in Istanbul’s Beyoğlu district on Wednesday in which he accused Gürlek of targeting opposition figures while ignoring alleged corruption in municipalities run by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
“If you are truly committed to justice, go investigate AKP-run municipalities as well,” Özel said during the “People Defend the National Will” rally, accusing Gürlek of double standards in corruption cases.
The CHP reacted sharply to the latest case. Party spokesperson and deputy chair Deniz Yücel, in a statement posted on X, accused Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç and the government of using the judiciary to silence dissent.
“There are no lessons in law, justice or democracy that we can take from those who annul legitimate diplomas, seize municipalities won at the ballot box or subject opposition mayors to unlawful detention,” Yücel wrote.
Murat Emir, a deputy parliamentary group leader for the CHP, also defended Özel in a separate post on X. He alleged that Gürlek was being deployed by the government to launch political investigations. “Whenever an operation is needed, Gürlek takes the stage,” Emir wrote. “Then they use our chairman’s words as a pretext to open investigations.”
Gürlek, appointed Istanbul’s chief prosecutor in 2023, has long been a polarizing figure in Turkey’s judiciary. As a judge, he presided over high-profile cases against opposition politicians, journalists and civil society leaders — trials that rights groups widely condemned as politically motivated. His decisions included the conviction of philanthropist Osman Kavala and the upholding of a political ban against Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s chief rival.
İmamoğlu, a senior member of CHP, was detained on March 19 and arrested days later on corruption charges criticized as politically motivated. His arrest, widely seen as targeting the biggest political rival to longtime President Erdoğan in the 2028 presidential election, sparked Turkey’s worst protests in decades.
At least three other investigations have been launched into Özel over past comments about prosecutors, highlighting the growing friction between the opposition and the judiciary.
