President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan appointed new justice and interior ministers under a decree published in the Official Gazette, with the incoming officials formally taking office during separate handover ceremonies on Wednesday in Ankara.
Akın Gürlek assumed the post of justice minister from Yılmaz Tunç at a ceremony attended by senior ministry officials and bureaucrats.
Tunç said reforms to the Constitution and legislation over the past two decades had aimed to reinforce Türkiye’s democratic legal framework.
Calling public office “a trust from the nation,” Tunç wished Gürlek success in his new role. He noted that he had previously worked alongside Gürlek during his tenure as deputy minister.
In his remarks, Gürlek thanked Erdoğan for appointing him and expressed appreciation to Tunç for his efforts. He said judicial reform strategies, human rights action plans and investments in digital justice infrastructure had contributed to strengthening the justice system.
Gürlek pledged to continue reforms in line with what he described as a “strong state, strong justice” vision. He said efforts would focus on accelerating judicial processes, reinforcing legal certainty and maintaining a firm stance against crime. Gürlek added that he would work in consultation with members of the judiciary, academia, bar associations and civil society organizations.
In a separate ceremony at the Interior Ministry, Mustafa Çiftçi took over as interior minister from Ali Yerlikaya following his appointment by presidential decree.
Yerlikaya congratulated Çiftçi and said he believed the new minister would continue efforts to safeguard public security and order. He thanked ministry staff for their service during his tenure.
Çiftçi, who previously served as governor of Erzurum, said he was aware of the challenges of the position and pledged to carry out his duties with dedication. He thanked Yerlikaya for his work and said he would seek to build on ongoing efforts in areas including combating crime and addressing irregular migration.
The appointments mark the latest changes in Erdoğan’s Cabinet as Türkiye continues to pursue judicial reforms and security policies under his administration.
