13.08.2026 13:32
Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek, stating that no one is untouchable, said, "No one is untouchable, no one is privileged before the law. The law works for everyone; its primary purpose is to keep citizens in peace and security. Wherever the law sees a problem, wherever it sees individual or organized structures against our citizens or the state they have established, it steps in; it does not look at the name on the file and does what is necessary."
Gürlek stated that the framework law, which will form the legal basis of the Terror-Free Türkiye process, was prepared to permanently rid Türkiye of the threat of terrorism, further strengthen our national unity and solidarity, and establish a climate of peace in our region. He said, 'Here, I particularly emphasize: no step has been taken, and no step will be taken, that would wound the sacred memory of our martyrs. The sacrifice of our veterans is beyond debate for us. Our only goal is to open the way to a strong Türkiye and to strengthen the domestic front.'
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek, who came to Trabzon this morning for a series of visits and inspections, first visited the Trabzon Governorship. Minister Akın Gürlek, welcomed by Governor Tahir Şahin, made statements to the press members here regarding the agenda.
Minister Gürlek began his speech by commemorating with mercy two heroes who hold a distinguished place in the memory of Trabzon and our nation. He said, 'I commemorate with mercy and gratitude our child Eren Bülbül, who fell to the ground for the sake of the flag, and our Gendarmerie Sergeant Ferhat Gedik, on the ninth anniversary of their martyrdom. While recalling once again this painful incident that plunged all of Türkiye into sorrow, I say: may the souls of our child Eren, who was etched into our memories with the words 'Good thing you exist, Eren', Sergeant Ferhat, and all our martyrs who gave their lives for our homeland be at peace, and may their place be paradise.'
Noting that the Republic of Türkiye is a state of law, Gürlek said, 'I, on the other hand, am the Justice Minister of our 86 million citizens. I am not the owner of this office, but the bearer of a great trust entrusted to us by our nation and our state. Therefore, I see the justice service as a responsibility we carry towards our entire nation, without any discrimination. No one is untouchable, no one is privileged before the law. Law works for everyone; its primary purpose is to keep the citizen in peace and security. Wherever law sees a problem, wherever it sees an individual or organized structure against our citizen or the state he has created, it steps in; it does not look at the name on the file and does what is necessary.'
"WE SEE THE TÜRKİYE CENTURY AS THE CENTURY OF JUSTICE" Speaking also about the Türkiye Century goal, Minister Gürlek said, 'We do not see this goal merely as the century of economic development, technological progress, or major investments. We are determinedly continuing our work with the goal of making the Türkiye Century also the Century of Justice. Therefore, we continue to combat crimes and criminal organizations that confront us in different forms every day. Even if the method of crime changes, its tools change, and the paths used by organizations change, one thing does not change: the state's will to fight crime. From drugs to illegal betting and virtual gambling, from street gangs to organized crime structures, we are resolutely going after all criminal focuses that target our nation's peace. This week we also clearly stated: We are not only dealing with the visible part of the crime chain. In drug crimes, from the street dealer to the baron; in organized crime, from the perpetrator to the instigator; in illegal betting, from those who use their accounts to those who manage that system, we are uncovering the entire chain. The murder of our child Mattia Ahmet Minguzzi, our child Atlas Çağlayan, and many of our children has opened deep wounds in all our hearts. Our duty is not only to punish the perpetrator after the crime is committed, but to prevent the crime before it emerges so that these pains are not experienced again. With this understanding, as the Ministry of Justice, we took an active role in preparing a more deterrent execution regulation, especially for children involved in serious crimes. We made significant contributions to the efforts to increase penalties; the law, which also includes regulations strengthening the responsibility of families in dragging children into crime, was passed by the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye and became law. Because our children are the greatest guarantee of our future. We will not allow them to be lost or their dreams to remain unfulfilled. We will do whatever is necessary for the safety and future of our children and will fight with determination. We are the followers not only of the crime and the criminal, but also of the dirty money that sustains the criminal order. Because without cutting the vein of crime and drying up this source, you cannot cut off the breath of the criminal organization. In this context, let no one have any doubt that we will not allow this order to pass. We are at the service of the great Turkish nation.'
"THERE IS NO TOLERANCE FOR ANY STRUCTURE THAT DISTURBS OUR NATION'S PEACE" Repeating the statement, 'The will put forth by our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is extremely clear: no tolerance will be shown to any structure that disturbs our nation's peace,' Minister Akın Gürlek said, 'We will also fulfill the requirement of this will within the law. There is no structure stronger than the state. There is no place they can flee from Turkish justice. Whoever commits a crime, wherever they go; it will not go unpunished. Time erodes before justice; truth does not. Years may pass over an event. A file may wait on the shelf. But every death that remains unsolved is an unsettled account before the state. Therefore, we will continue to reopen unsolved incidents, suspicious deaths, and files that have left a mark on the public conscience. We will dispel suspicion. We will trace the evidence. We will reveal the perpetrator. We will bring the responsible party before justice. We are determined and resolute. No matter where it leads, no matter who it confronts, we will not stray from our path.'
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek drew attention to the heavy price Türkiye has paid for terrorism over many years and continued his speech as follows:
"We gave thousands of our children as martyrs. Many mothers laid their children to rest. Many children grew up fatherless. Many families' hearths were struck by fire. Türkiye did not only lose lives. It lost from its energy, lost from its resources, lost from its development opportunities. Most importantly, our brotherhood was targeted many times. At the point we have reached today, however, there is now a different Türkiye. The Terror-Free Türkiye goal, which started under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and with the strong will put forth by the Chairman of the Nationalist Movement Party, Devlet Bahçeli, has reached a new and historic phase with the common sense of our nation and the will of our Gazi Parliament. The regulation on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration, which came to the agenda of our Parliament, was enacted into law on 10 August 2026 with 468 votes in favor at the General Assembly of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye. A very strong national will that will go down in history has been demonstrated. I extend my gratitude once again to everyone who contributed."
This strong will tells us something very important: A Turkey without terrorism is no longer merely a wish. It is a historic will put forth regarding the common future of our State, our political institution, and our nation. The stakeholders in this matter are our 86 million citizens. The winners will also be 86 million. Our Trabzon, with its high national consciousness, should explain this process with common sense and embrace it strongly. Because the issue is that no mother will ever again sacrifice her child to terrorism on these lands. The issue is that our country's mountains, cities, and borders will be remembered not with terrorism, but with production, investment, tourism, science, and the achievements of our youth. The issue is that no more of our Eren Bülbüls will be taken from among us at a young age. The issue is that all our citizens will leave a more peaceful Turkey to their children. As our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated, our goal is to permanently rid Turkey of the terrorist threat, further strengthen our national unity and solidarity, and prevail a climate of peace in our region. I particularly emphasize this: no step has been taken, nor will be taken, that would offend the sacred memory of our martyrs. The sacrifice of our veterans is beyond debate for us. Our sole aim is to open the path to a strong Turkey and strengthen the domestic front. Again, as our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated: "Turkey is the common ground for all of us. The Republic of Turkey is the common home for all of us. Regardless of our origins, we are all members of the Turkish nation. When the high interests of the country and the nation are at stake, we must come together, unite, and meet on common ground. This is a national duty for everyone who feels they belong to the Turkish nation. That is why I believe that Trabzon, which still carries the spirit of the National Struggle in its veins, will be one of the strongest advocates of the ideal of a Turkey without terrorism."
"A COUNTRY THAT TACKLES PROBLEMS" Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek stated that Turkey has now become a country that does not postpone its problems but tackles them, saying, "It is the same with the terrorism issue. It is the same in the fight against criminal organizations. It is the same with the shortcomings of our justice system. Wherever there is a deficiency, we will fix it. Wherever our citizens have a legitimate expectation, we will listen. Wherever there is a structure that threatens the peace of our nation, we will stand against it within the law. We will continue our reforms that will make our justice organization stronger, increase the effectiveness of the judiciary, and enable our citizens to access their rights more quickly. With this understanding, we continue to strengthen the physical infrastructure of justice services in our Trabzon. We have completed the project studies for our Vakfıkebir Courthouse and held its construction tender; we have also prepared our Of Justice Palace project to provide stronger and more effective judicial services. We are resolutely continuing our work on the additional service building needed for the new civil and criminal chambers, which have been decided to be established at the Trabzon Regional Court of Appeals, to become operational. And ultimately, we will not give up on the goal of a civil, democratic, and inclusive constitution that our nation has deserved for years. Because we want to build the Turkish Century not on a constitutional ground left over from the guardianship mentality of past periods; but on a strong legal order that centers the will of the nation and guarantees human dignity and fundamental rights. Now there is a new period ahead of us: a period of a Turkey that has completely freed itself from the shadow of terrorism, where the maneuvering space of criminal organizations is destroyed, legal security is strengthened; a Turkey moving towards much greater goals with its economy, production, and human resources. We believe in this. We also believe that Trabzon will be at the forefront today, as it was yesterday, in this march. We will protect our Green Homeland, eliminate all kinds of criminal organizations in our country, and never give an opportunity to internal and external elements that disturb the peace of our nation," he said.