President Erdoğan has appointed Akın Gürlek (left) the hardline prosecutor known for overseeing cases involving Ekrem İmamoğlu and CHP-run municipalities, as Minister of Justice, and Erzurum Governor Mustafa Çiftçi as Minister of Interior. CHP leader Özgür Özel responded by saying, “We will not surrender.”
Under a presidential decree issued at midnight on February 10, President Erdoğan appointed Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek to replace Yılmaz Tunç as Minister of Justice, and Erzurum Governor Mustafa Çiftçi to replace Ali Yerlikaya as Minister of Interior. The decree stated that Tunç and Yerlikaya had requested to be “relieved of their duties”, a formulation commonly interpreted as dismissal during Erdoğan’s presidency. Both outgoing officials were known as hardline figures.
Özel: “We Will Not Surrender”
Reacting to the appointments, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel criticized Erdoğan’s decision to appoint Gürlek—whom he accused of “attacking the institutional identity of the CHP”—as Justice Minister, warning that “tomorrow morning will be more difficult than this morning.” Speaking at a ceremony marking the third anniversary of the death of former CHP leader Deniz Baykal, Özel said, “The determination and resilience of a party that liberated this country from occupation and bestowed upon it the Republic and democracy will leave its mark on these days as well. We will not surrender, we will not bow down.”
The appointments have prompted political observers to suggest that Erdoğan may further harden his political stance toward the opposition. As Justice Minister, Gürlek will also chair the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK), giving him influence over judicial appointments. Analysts also note that, amid an increasingly confrontational approach toward the opposition, Erdoğan could seriously consider calling an early election once he secures the required 360 votes in parliament, despite ongoing economic challenges.
Gürlek and Cases Involving the CHP
Since his appointment as Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor in October 2024, Gürlek has been known as the leading prosecutor in investigations and cases targeting CHP-run municipalities, including the case involving Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Özel has accused Gürlek of being the executor of what he describes as the “March 19 civilian coup,” referring to the day İmamoğlu was detained.
In the final months of his 17-month tenure in Istanbul, Gürlek also came to prominence for operations targeting money laundering and financial crimes in the business sector, as well as investigations into narcotics and prostitution.
If one of the prosecutors appointed to senior posts in Istanbul during the October 2025 HSK reshuffle replaces Gürlek, these cases could continue under their supervision, potentially accelerated and overseen by Justice Minister Gürlek.
Political sources had previously suggested that, following İmamoğlu’s detention and subsequent arrest shortly after being announced as the CHP’s presidential candidate nearly a year ago, Gürlek had been meeting Erdoğan directly, bypassing Tunç, and was being considered as his successor.
Çiftçi Replaces Yerlikaya
Speculation had also surrounded potential replacements for Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, with Istanbul Governor Davut Gül—who had taken a prominent role in preventing CHP protests—among the names mentioned.
Yerlikaya had initially been welcomed by the public for intensifying operations against organized crime and gangs upon taking office. Over time, however, he drew criticism, including from circles close to the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), particularly in connection with aspects of the Sinan Ateş murder case. Within the ruling AK Party, he was also criticized for seeking excessive personal prominence.
Erdoğan’s choice of Çiftçi as the new Interior Minister, like Yerlikaya, is from Konya, a move seen by some observers as a gesture aimed at maintaining internal political balance. Çiftçi is known to have memorized the Quran and won a Quran recitation competition. After graduating from an Imam-Hatip school and Ankara University’s Faculty of Political Science, he also completed studies at a Faculty of Theology. He previously faced criticism for attending a commemoration of İskilipli Âtıf Hoca, who was executed by the Turkish Independence Tribunals in 1926, and for suggesting that the Erzurum Congress Building (one of the symbols of the War of Independence) be demolished on the grounds that it was not earthquake-resistant.
Considered a figure more aligned with the preferences of the MHP, Çiftçi is not seen as part of former Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu’s team and is unlikely to face objections from the party. While Yerlikaya had been criticized by some within the AK Party for acting in a “balanced” manner, observers suggest that Çiftçi, regarded as a hardliner, may not share the same concerns.