Overview
- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally appointed Akin Gurlek as justice minister and Mustafa Ciftci as interior minister, with the Official Gazette noting the outgoing ministers asked to be relieved.
- Opposition lawmakers tried to block Gurlek’s oath, punches were thrown, proceedings were paused for 15 minutes, and he was ultimately sworn in surrounded by ruling party MPs.
- As Istanbul chief prosecutor, Gurlek oversaw corruption probes that led to hundreds of arrests in CHP-run municipalities and the jailing of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
- Gurlek’s 4,000-page indictment filed in November seeks a combined sentence exceeding 2,000 years for Imamoglu, with the first court hearing scheduled for March.
- Government officials reject claims of political interference and say the courts act independently, while CHP leader Ozgur Ozel labeled the appointment a “judicial coup attempt,” as lawmakers also weigh constitutional changes and a PKK peace initiative.