Breaking News: Akın Gürlek responds to Özgür Özel

Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel has made a highly controversial allegation regarding Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek.

Speaking during a live broadcast on Sözcü TV last night, Özel stated, "Akın Gürlek is talking to Erdoğan on a crypto phone. If Mr. Erdoğan hasn't heard, I am reporting it now; he says he is also wiretapping Erdoğan, he says he is recording the crypto phone."

Following the allegation, which dominated the agenda, an investigation was launched into Özel, and Gürlek issued a written statement on his social media account.

Responding to Özel, Gürlek included the following statements in his declaration:

"In line with the Century of Turkey vision put forward by our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as a member of the Government of the Republic of Turkey, we are working day and night to make the Century of Turkey the Century of Justice.

Our goal is to protect our children from crime and our families from unrest; to fight against all criminal hubs, from street-level dealers to barons, from money launderers to betting gangs; and to proceed with determination to hold criminal organizations that plunder municipalities accountable and to shed light on cold cases.

Throughout our professional life, we have fought against terrorist organizations, criminal networks, and centers of tutelage solely with the power of the law. We have not given credence to the character assassination attempted against us or our state institutions, neither in the past nor today.

The baseless allegations made by CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, targeting me on a television channel, are a manifestation of a 'politics of slander' that attempts to cover up his political exhaustion with imaginary scenarios.

Özel, who characterizes ongoing judicial processes as a 'coup,' is in fact acting as a patron for criminals. To equate the struggle of those who defended democracy at the cost of their lives on July 15 with his own fears of a 'null and void' case is, to put it mildly, a major distortion and insolence.

Attempting to tarnish our communication with our President regarding our state duties with vile slanders is not the product of a main opposition leader, but rather of a political understanding that has lost its sense of responsibility. These allegations are an open attack on the seriousness of the state and our national security.

I remind Özgür Özel, who threatens our judges and prosecutors by saying 'they will be afraid' and attempts to manipulate judicial processes: The Turkish judiciary does not take orders from anyone and does not bow to threats. The facts in the files are too solid and strong to be affected by the wind of lies fabricated by Özel.

Just as we have won the lawsuits we filed against the slanders previously made by the same person, we will take the necessary steps through legal channels against his new slanders. The common sense of our nation will render this politics of lies void, as it always has."

In line with the Century of Turkey vision put forward by our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as a member of the Government of the Republic of Turkey, we are working day and night to make the Century of Turkey the Century of Justice.

Our goal is to protect our children from crime, our families…

— Akın Gürlek (@abakingurlek) May 9, 2026

News Source: 12punto