At today's session of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, a decree signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was read. According to the decree, Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek has been appointed Minister of Justice, and Erzurum Governor Mustafa Çiftçi has been appointed Minister of Internal Affairs.
According to Modern.az, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Bekir Bozdağ invited the new government members to the rostrum to take the oath. However, deputies of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) stated that Akın Gürlek's appointment was contrary to the Turkish Constitution. According to their claim, Gürlek is still serving as the Chief Public Prosecutor of Istanbul.
As Akın Gürlek approached the rostrum to take the oath, CHP deputies attempted to block access to the rostrum. Deputies of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) prevented this. As a result, a confrontation and pushing occurred among the members of parliament. Subsequently, deputies of the ruling party formed a human chain at the rostrum, ensuring the continuation of the oath-taking process.
It should be recalled that, according to the presidential decree signed on February 10, Akın Gürlek was appointed Minister of Justice in place of Yılmaz Tunç, and Mustafa Çiftçi was appointed Minister of Internal Affairs in place of Ali Yerlikaya. Although the decree stated that Tunç and Yerlikaya resigned at their own request, the changes in the cabinet intensified discussions regarding possible renewals in the political course.
The CHP announced that both new ministers are known as proponents of a “hardline” and protested the president's decision. Specifically, after Akın Gürlek was appointed Istanbul prosecutor in October 2024, he initiated corruption investigations against municipalities controlled by the CHP, including Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. He also came to prominence with operations related to money laundering, financial crimes, and drug and prostitution networks. It was previously reported that he had met with Erdoğan and that his appointment to the post of Minister of Justice was a matter of time.
Although Istanbul Governor Davud Gül was mentioned among possible candidates for the post of Minister of Internal Affairs in political circles, Erzurum Governor Mustafa Çiftçi was ultimately appointed. A report published on "Haqqin.az" states that the activities of the previous Minister of Internal Affairs, Ali Yerlikaya, did not fully satisfy the leadership of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). In particular, personnel changes within the ministry caused dissatisfaction. Reports in the press indicated that Yerlikaya removed some bureaucrats considered close to the MHP from their positions or limited their influence within the structures. This created tension within the coalition.
There were also claims that a part of the MHP wanted former Minister of Internal Affairs Süleyman Soylu to return to this post. Soylu is known among the MHP electorate and nationalist circles for his strict security policies and enjoys a certain sympathy within the party base. However, due to political realities and the President's decision, this scenario did not materialize.
Consequently, the candidacy of Erzurum Governor Mustafa Çiftçi was settled upon. According to reports, the MHP did not openly object to Çiftçi's appointment and regarded him as an acceptable compromise figure. Mustafa Çiftçi is a graduate of Ankara University's Faculty of Political Sciences and is known for his conservative stance. He had been criticized by Kemalist circles due to his participation in the commemoration ceremony of İskilipli Atıf Hoca, who was executed by the controversial Independence Tribunals in the early years of the Republic of Turkey.
