Akın Gürlek, chief prosecutor in Istanbul, is at the crosshairs of criticism by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) over the investigation into corruption allegations in CHP-run municipalities.
The party’s leader, Özgür Özel, stepped up rhetoric against Gürlek on Wednesday, leading prosecutors in Ankara to launch an investigation into his remarks. The Chief Prosecutor’s Office in the capital said in a statement that the investigation is based on charges of insulting a public official and making a threat.
As he addressed his supporters in Istanbul’s Beyoğlu district, Özel claimed Gürlek was rounding up people linked to his party unfairly and he would “show him.” He also implied Gürlek lacked “namus” (a Turkish word roughly meaning honesty or dignity) in the same speech. Such a description can be interpreted as a severe insult punishable under Turkish laws.
CHP launched a blitz against prosecutors and the government in the wake of the arrest of the party’s Istanbul mayor, Ekrem Imamoğlu, in March on graft charges. More arrests followed as investigators dug deeper into a criminal network allegedly led by Imamoğlu. Beyoğlu’s mayor, Inan Güney, was the latest to be apprehended in connection with what prosecutors claim is widespread corruption, ranging from taking bribes to rigging public tenders. The CHP claims the arrests are politically motivated, while authorities say the judiciary is independent of any government intervention and the party should wait for the outcome of ongoing trials on municipal corruption.
Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç was among those reacting to Özel’s scathing remarks against Gürlek. In a social media post on NSosyal, Tunç recommended Özel to keep calm and “be serious” while awaiting the outcome of the corruption investigations. “Instead of hitting new highs in lies and defamation, he should pursue a decent policy based on honesty,” Tunç said. “Özel is obviously fed up with corruption allegations within his party and confessions (of people in corruption probes) and feels cornered. So, he resorts to lies,” Tunç said.
