European Parliament adopts resolution seeking sanctions on Turkey’s justice minister
The European Parliament today adopted a resolution calling for restrictive measures against Justice Minister Akın Gürlek over "violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms."
The resolution, adopted with 381 votes in favor, urges the EU high representative to consider sanctions under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime.
The proposed measures include freezing assets within the EU. Parliament members described Gürlek as "a key actor in the state’s repressive machinery." They also criticized his recent promotion to minister, calling him a "political actor who follows a political agenda."
The parliament expressed deep concern over a nearly 4,000-page indictment prepared under Gürlek’s responsibility when he served as the İstanbul chief public prosecutor. The indictment targets Ekrem İmamoğlu, the suspended mayor of İstanbul who was declared presidential candidate by the now-removed leadership of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).
İmamoğlu faces up to 2,430 years in prison on charges of leading a criminal network and committing 142 offenses. The ECtHR recently accepted İmamoğlu's application regarding his detention under its priority case procedure.
The resolution also deplores a decision by the İstanbul 5th Administrative Court on Jan 23, which rejected İmamoğlu’s request to overturn the revocation of his university diploma.
Minister's response
The minister on Jun 13 responded to the parliament's draft resolution released earlier, which included the same provisions regarding him, arguing in a written statement that the draft resolution was itself politically motivated:
"Distorting ongoing judicial proceedings in Turkey and conducting a political campaign based on cases where prosecutions are still underway; making baseless accusations against the Turkish judiciary and myself—this is a stance that can only be explained by ideological prejudice.
"This politically motivated approach, fueled by certain circles within the European Parliament, undermines the credibility of the institutions these individuals represent. For us, what truly matters is the conscience of our beloved nation and the decisions of Turkey’s independent courts.
"European Parliament reports, however, are political texts of a recommendatory nature. Targeting the judicial institutions of the Republic of Turkey through these texts is a futile effort directed against the national will and our state’s sovereign rights."
About Akın Gürlek
Gürlek was appointed as justice minister in February. He previously served deputy justice minister (2022-2024) as a heavy penal judge and chief public prosecutor (2024-2026), overseeing several high-profile political trials.
As the presiding judge of the İstanbul 14th Heavy Penal Court, Gürlek headed panels that sentenced numerous political figures, lawyers, and journalists. These included Selahattin Demirtaş, the former co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), Sırrı Süreyya Önder, a former HDP deputy, Canan Kaftancıoğlu, CHP's former head in İstanbul, and Progressive Lawyers’ Association (ÇHD).
Gürlek also issued a decision that defied a binding ruling by the Constitutional Court in the case of journalist Enis Berberoğlu in Feb 2021.
Local court defies Constitutional Court ruling of right violation for Enis Berberoğlu
Later that year, the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) promoted Gürlek to first-class judge status, making him eligible for appointments to the country's supreme courts, Thethe Court of Cassation and the Constitutional Court.
ECtHR cases
The European Parliament reiterated that Turkey’s EU accession negotiations have been at a standstill since 2018 due to the deterioration of democracy and the rule of law. The resolution notes that Turkey had the highest number of pending cases before the ECtHR as of January 2026, accounting for over a third of the court's total caseload.
It also highlights a severe erosion of local democracy, noting that 28 opposition mayors, including 18 from the CHP and 10 from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, have been removed from office and replaced by government-appointed trustees. (VK)