Turkey Erdogan appoints controversial public prosecutor as justice minister
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has appointed the Istanbul Prosecutor General, who is known for his rigorous crackdown on the opposition, as Minister of Justice. Akin Gürlek replaces the previous Minister of Justice, Yilmaz Tunc.
11.02.2026, 09:33
11.02.2026, 16:01
SDA
This is according to a statement published in the official gazette. The appointment is highly controversial. The opposition protested against the swearing-in in parliament and there were riots. As Minister of Justice, Gürlek is also Chairman of the Council of Judges and Public Prosecutors, which appoints lawyers to the courts.
Gürlek was Istanbul's chief public prosecutor for more than a year, during which time he ordered numerous investigations into politicians from the main opposition party CHP, including the deposed Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. The Erdogan opponent has been in custody since March last year.
Opposition describes occupation as a reward
Gürlek had also opened proceedings against Imamoglu for insulting the public prosecutor because he had said, among other things, that his 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 will begin in a month's time.
The deputy chairwoman of the CHP, Gül Ciftci, sharply criticized the appointment. The appointment of Gürlek was a clear reward for the action against her party, she wrote on X. Following the announcement of the appointment, Imamoglu announced via his office on X that he saw the republic, democracy and the future of Turkey under threat.
Erdogan also appointed the governor of Erzurum province, Mustafa Ciftci, as interior minister, replacing Ali Yerlikaya. It is the first cabinet reshuffle since the 2023 parliamentary and presidential elections.
