site.btaOpposition Leader Says Turkiye's New Justice Minister Is “Erdogan’s Tool”

The leader of Turkiye’s main opposition force, the Republican People's Party (CHP), Ozgur Ozel, commented on the government reshuffle that replaced the justice and interior ministers. He described the changes as politically motivated and called the new justice minister, Akin Gurlek, who until now served as Istanbul’s chief prosecutor, "Erdogan’s tool".

"With the appointments Erdogan made last night, he effectively signed off on the fact that our thesis is correct and his is false. What does he claim? That Turkiye is a state governed by the rule of law. What do we claim? That what has been done is not justice but a political operation,” Ozel told the media after visiting the State Cemetery in Ankara. His remarks were broadcast live on Facebook.

Ozel also referred to Istanbul’s significance in Turkish politics, recalling President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statement that “whoever wins Istanbul wins Turkiye”.

The CHP achieved a historic victory in the 2024 local elections, emerging as the leading political force and overtaking Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). The CHP won in the country’s five largest cities – Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Bursa and Antalya.

In 2025, Turkish authorities launched extensive investigations against opposition mayors. A number of CHP members and municipal mayors were arrested and charged, including Istanbul’s temporarily suspended mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Adana Mayor Zeydan Karalar, Adiyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere, Antalya Mayor Muhittin Bocek and Sile Mayor Ozgur Kabadayi, among others.

At the end of 2025, judicial actions were also initiated against the opposition party itself. A court in Istanbul annulled a conference of the party’s district organization in the metropolis and removed its local leadership. Proceedings are also under way to invalidate the CHP’s regular congress held in 2023.

"We ask: what is our fault? That we defeated Erdogan and, after 47 years, became the leading political force, pushing the Justice and Development Party into second place?" Ozel said in his comments on Gurlek’s appointment as justice minister.

Ozel believes Gurlek is taking up the post in order to secure immunity from criminal prosecution.

He said that, as justice minister, Gurlek will chair Turkiye’s Council of Judges and Prosecutors, and recalled that the CHP had submitted four separate complaints to the Council concerning Gurlek. According to Ozel, these complaints have not been examined because "Erdogan does not allow it". He alleged that Gurlek owns 16 properties that "he could not have purchased even if he had saved every salary he earned throughout his life," including one reportedly worth more than TRY 100 million (approximately EUR 1.9 million).

The decision to replace Turkiye’s interior and justice ministers was announced at midnight. According to a decree by President Erdogan published in the country’s Official Gazette, Mustafa Ciftci has taken over as interior minister, having previously served as governor of the eastern province of Erzurum. He replaces Ali Yerlikaya. Under the same decision, Gurlek replaces Yilmaz Tunc as justice minister.