Son güncelleme: 17 Mart 2026 -

Turkish opposition chair announces exposé of assets allegedly belonging to new Justice Minister

ANKARA (Medyascope) – Republican People’s Party (CHP) chairman and Turkey’s main opposition leader Özgür Özel made a major announcement Tuesday (March 17), taking aim at new Turkish Justice Minister Akın Gürlek.

By Özgecan Özgenç • Medyascope

In his speech, Özel claimed that Gürlek possesses vast assets totalling some 452 million Turkish Liras ($10.2 million), consisting largely of expensive properties in Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir.

Akın Gürlek, who previously served as Istanbul Chief Prosecutor, was promoted to Justice Minister in February 2026. Gürlek is an enormously controversial figure in the Turkish judiciary, responsible for opening investigations and ordering detentions of opposition figures that critics argue are politically motivated. Among the many indictments prepared by Gürlek during his time in Istanbul is a case seeking a 2400-year prison sentence for imprisoned Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Gürlek’s promotion to the Justice Ministry last month by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was seen by many critics as proof of the erosion of judicial independence in Turkey.

According to Özel’s allegations, Gürlek’s 452 million TL fortune consists of 126.5 million TL in properties that were recently sold. Seeming to question the source of the Justice Minister’s wealth, Özel said: 

“In 19 years, he seems to have saved up enough money to buy these properties which would require working at the Istanbul Prosecutors Office for 190 years.”

Alleged Gürlek properties:

Prior to Özel’s remarks, a message was sent to members of the parliament from Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) inviting them to watch the CHP chairman’s statement.

Following Gürlek’s February promotion to lead the Justice Ministry, Özel had issued a public call for him to release information on his wealth and assets.

Gürlek denies Özel’s allegations

In a Tuesday afternoon social media post, Gürlek denied the claims being made by Özel regarding his wealth and assets, saying:

“The unfounded claims made by Özgür Özel against me today are a clear attempt to manipulate public opinion.........

© Medyascope