Turkish authorities on Thursday launched an investigation into alleged threats from opposition leader Özgür Özel against Istanbul Chief Prosecutor Akın Gürlek.
An ex officio investigation has been launched against the Republican People's Party (CHP) chair for the crimes of “threatening a judicial officer to prevent him from performing his duty" and “openly insulting a public official due to his duty,” the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in Istanbul said in a statement.
Özel is being probed over remarks he made at a CHP rally in Istanbul’s Gaziosmanpaşa district late Wednesday.
Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç shut down Özel’s remarks in a statement on X.
“Any threat against the judiciary is an open attack on a state of law,” Tunç said.
“The CHP chairman’s threatening remarks targeting Istanbul's chief prosecutor and our legal professionals through ongoing investigations are unacceptable,” he added.
The CHP leader slammed Gürlek over the arrest of five CHP mayors in an investigation against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) on charges of widespread corruption.
Calling out to Gürlek, Özel said: “Akın, you hit a hard rock, son! I will get over there and destroy you. Come to your senses.”
Özel also called out to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whom he accused of “using” Gürlek against the CHP.
The CHP has singled out Gürlek for acting as a “guillotine” for Erdoğan following the arrest of a CHP mayor, Rıza Akpolat, in October 2024, accusing him of orchestrating the arrest of Ahmet Özer, another CHP mayor who was serving in the Esenyurt district before he was charged with links to the PKK terrorist group last year.
The government has dismissed accusations of political interference in the cases and says the judiciary is independent.
Gürlek was also targeted by Istanbul’s former mayor, Ekrem Imamoğlu, who accused the chief prosecutor of having “a corrupt mindset” after Akpolat’s arrest.
“We will change this mindset to save your children, too. We will change that mindset so nobody would take away your children in a dawn raid,” Imamoğlu had said.
The former mayor was charged with threatening Gürlek and using his influence as a mayor to exert pressure on judicial organs and members in a bid to win favors in lawsuits involving his party.
Authorities on Wednesday arrested three CHP mayors in Istanbul and two more in the southern Adana province linked to the allegations involving Imamoğlu, who was arrested in March along with dozens of his municipal employees and businesspeople on charges of corruption.
The latest round of arrests brings the total number of jailed CHP mayors to nine in Istanbul.
Imamoğlu, who is facing five separate investigations that could land him in jail and ban him from politics, is accused of running a criminal organization that profited from rigged tenders and rampant bribery in exchange for building and zoning permits and awarding tenders.
The CHP has launched rallies and incited riots after Imamoğlu’s arrest. It claims that Imamoğlu’s arrest is politically motivated, as the party had nominated him for the next presidential election. However, the government argues that the CHP’s claim and pro-Imamoğlu rallies are simply an attempt to cover up the mayor’s alleged wrongdoings, which range from rigging public tenders to taking bribes.
Imamoğlu has denied all allegations in his interrogation, but prosecutors point out a wide array of evidence, from financial irregularities to bribes and money laundering activities. Those include reports from MASAK, technical surveillance data and testimonies from dozens of witnesses.
In the case of threatening Gürlek, Imamoğlu is to stand trial again on June 16.
At his first hearing in early April, the politician defended himself, saying his remarks did “not include any sort of threat.”
