Akın Gürlek Under Scope: Özel Levels “Judicial Gang” Allegations

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel has launched a scathing critique of Turkey’s current judicial landscape, specifically targeting Justice Minister Akın Gürlek. At a high-tension press conference, Özel accused the government of creating “judicial wings” designed to carry out political operations, likening current practices to the dark “White Toros” era of the 1990s.

Özel’s statements suggest a coordinated “civilian coup” aimed at dismantling the opposition through legal maneuvers and hand-picked judicial figures.

“Ak Toroslar”: The New Symbol of Judicial Pressure

Özel argued that the judiciary has been transformed into a political tool for the AK Party. He claimed that the neutrality of the courts has been replaced by a “gang-like” structure that targets elected officials.

• The Profile: Özel alleged that President Erdoğan sought a “Zekeriya Öz-like” figure (referring to the former Ergenekon prosecutor) to lead judicial operations and found that person in Akın Gürlek.

• The Terminology: He dubbed this new structure the “Ak Toroslar” gang, a provocative reference to the White Renault Toros cars associated with extrajudicial disappearances in the 1990s.

• The Strategy: According to Özel, this group orchestrated the removal of the elected Mayor of Esenyurt and the appointment of a trustee to the district.

The Bilirkişi (Expert) Scandal: 16 Consecutive “Coincidences”

One of the most concrete allegations in Özel’s speech involved a specific relationship between Minister Gürlek and a forensic expert.

“Akın Gürlek is not a man of coincidences; he is a man of specific appointments,” Özel stated.

He alleged that during Gürlek’s tenure in Tekirdağ, he developed a working relationship with an expert named Satılmış Büyükcanayakın. When Gürlek moved to Istanbul, this expert also relocated and joined a pool of 8,000 specialists. According to Özel, whenever Gürlek’s court requested an expert, the same name was drawn 16 times. Özel questioned the statistical impossibility of this “random” selection.

Akın Gürlek Track Record: The AYM and ECHR Challenges

Özel highlighted Gürlek’s judicial track record, noting that many of his high-profile convictions were later overturned by higher courts, including the Constitutional Court (AYM) and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

Özel claimed that even AK Party deputies find these judicial performances indefensible, stating, “I have explained this to many AK Party MPs; not a single one defends him.”

The “March 19th Coup” Narrative

Özel detailed what he described as a “civilian coup” process that culminated on March 19, 2025. He claimed that the cancellation of an opposition figure’s university diploma followed by a pre-dawn police operation was no accident.

• Coordinated Hands: He argued that the hands controlling the university administration and the hands controlling the police operation were the same.

• TRT Allegations: He criticized the state broadcaster, TRT, for reading “coup manifestos” and spreading what he called “slander regarding corruption,” which the broadcaster can no longer sustain due to the sheer lack of evidence.