Minister of JUSTICE Akın Gürlek said, "Civil society cannot be a shield for escaping from legal control, arbitrariness, or managing our nation's trust without accountability. The feeling of cooperation cannot be exploited. For non-governmental organizations, transparency is not a choice or a favor, but a legal and moral obligation."
Minister Gürlek attended the 'Civil Judicial Evaluation Meeting' held in Ankara with the participation of chief prosecutors and justice commission heads from 81 provinces. Minister Gürlek stated that the judiciary and the law are the backbone of the state and said, "Our judges and public prosecutors serve in line with the Constitution, the laws, the evidence in the file and their conscientious convictions. Of course, judicial decisions can be discussed and criticized in democratic societies. Evaluating the decisions on legal grounds is a natural consequence of freedom of expression. However, criticism is completely different from targeting our judges and prosecutors, acting to put them under pressure, threatening them and damaging their professional reputation. They are completely different from each other. They destroy judicial bodies with political motives, personal calculations or by creating public pressure." "Attempts to undermine the judiciary directly harm not only our members of the judiciary, but also the rule of law. We will not allow any approach that aims to undermine public confidence in justice, cast a shadow on the impartiality of the judiciary, and put pressure on our judges and prosecutors. Respecting the decisions of the Turkish judiciary is not only a legal obligation, but also a requirement of the democratic social order," he said.
'WE ESTABLISHED SPECIALIZED DEPARTMENTS'
Stating that the types of crimes and methods of criminal organizations are changing rapidly, Minister Gürlek said, "In a period when digital tools, financial systems, crypto assets and social media platforms are used for criminal purposes, it is not enough to fight with old methods. For this reason, we established new and specialized departments within our General Directorate of Criminal Affairs. We have created a stronger institutional structure in many areas, from unsolved crimes to terrorist crimes, from narcotic and economic crimes to financing of terrorism and laundering of crime proceeds, from digital environment security to the fight against disinformation. The Republic "We aim to carry out investigations in a more effective, faster and specialized manner by increasing the coordination among our chief prosecutors' offices. With our Department of Effectiveness of Justice Services, we will adopt the functioning of our courthouses, the performance of our courts and the efficient use of our human resources. Our aim is not only to produce statistics. It is to analyze the distribution of the caseload accurately, to intervene in areas where there is need, and to increase our citizens' satisfaction with justice services."
'WE WILL NOT LEAVE THE RIGHTS OF ANY VICTIM UNHOLDED'
Regarding the unsolved files, Minister Gürlek said, "We have demonstrated a strong will on the unsolved files, which have been a wound in the hearts of families for years. Behind each file, there is a family waiting for an answer, a life left unfinished, and a sense of justice waiting to be manifested. To date, we have established procedures to shed light on the unsolved murders in 19 files. Our work will continue with great care. The situation in forensic sciences, new technical opportunities, digital data and inter-institutional "Using coordination, we are re-examining files that could not be clarified in the past. No matter how many years pass, we will not abandon any file to the darkness of time, we will not leave any victim's rights unattended, and we will use all our means to bring the perpetrators to justice."
'WE WILL NOT LEAVE OUR STREETS TO CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS'
Noting that the fight against street gangs that threaten the peace of citizens is among his priority topics, Gürlek said, "We will not tolerate any structure that tries to draw children and young people into their own dark worlds, creates an atmosphere of fear in our neighborhood, and turns weapons and violence into a show of power. We will not leave our streets to criminal organizations. Comprehensive investigations should be carried out against these structures, not only in terms of organization managers and armed members, but also in terms of their financial sources, connections, weapon supply networks, drug trade and assets acquired from crime. It is especially easy for young people to be killed." "We must also be careful against the propaganda carried out on social media by the structures that lure people into crime with the promise of money, fame and power. Thanks to the strong coordination of our Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and law enforcement units, we will continue to narrow down the field of action of street gangs, dry up their resources and keep our youth away from these structures," he said.
'IT IS EVERYONE'S RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT OUR YOUTH'
Stating that drug dealers target the hopes of young people and the peace of their families, Minister Gürlek said, "We will wage the most determined fight within the law against those who carry out this dirty trade. It is of great importance for us to identify and neutralize criminal groups that try to reach our young people, especially in school environments, social media platforms and digital communication networks. In investigations regarding drug crimes, not only the dealers on the street but also those who manage the organization, those who provide financing, transportation networks and those who launder the proceeds of crime should be reached. We can seize assets, follow financial movements and "We must effectively use the opportunities to resolve organizational connections. We will not stand by and watch even one of our young people be dragged into the drug swamp. It is our legal, conscientious and humanitarian responsibility to protect our youth," he said.
Minister Gürlek stated that the fight against FETO continues uninterruptedly and said, "This structure is not only a terrorist organization; it is a treason network that has been trying to use the law, education, security and public order for its own purposes by infiltrating the institutions of the state for years. There is no room for complacency in the investigations carried out against FETO's current structures, financial resources, secret structure, cell houses and foreign connections. We must maintain both determination and legal rigor in this fight. We must maintain both determination and legal rigor together, distinguishing between the guilty and the innocent, based on concrete evidence and "An approach that respects the right to a fair trial is a requirement of the state of law. We will continue our struggle based on evidence and within the boundaries of law, in coordination with all institutions of our state. The Republic of Turkey will not allow any tutelage, any parallel structure or any terrorist organization above the will of the nation," he said.
Stating that citizens' access to their rights in a timely manner is as important as the quality of justice services, Minister Gürlek said, "Delayed justice damages the citizens' sense of justice. It is our common responsibility to finalize the files within the target periods, to detect the problems that cause delays in a timely manner and not to extend the investigations unnecessarily. We cannot allow our citizens to be victimized by the litigation and investigation processes that last for years. Thanks to conciliation, expedited trial and simple trial procedures, we have ensured that millions of files are concluded in a shorter time. Conciliation negotiations have been completed to date. "83 percent of the files resulted in reconciliation. Approximately 1 million 448 thousand files were resolved within the scope of expedited trial and simple trial. We prevented our citizens from being unnecessarily labeled as suspects due to abstract and unfounded complaints, with regulations aimed at protecting the presumption of innocence and the right to be free from stigma. It is the duty of justice to protect people's honor and reputation as well as to meticulously evaluate the denunciations and complaints."
Regarding the fight against violence against women, Gürlek said, "It is a threat to women, families, children and our social structure. It is our priority to effectively implement Law No. 6284, to take protective measures quickly, to prevent victims from suffering secondary victimization and to conduct effective investigations against the perpetrators. We should not forget that delay in these files may lead to irreparable consequences. The basis of our juvenile justice system is the best interest of the child. However, we cannot ignore the expectation of justice in the face of serious crimes that cause deep indignation in society. "Our aim is not only to punish, but also to prevent children from being dragged into crime again, to strengthen education and rehabilitation opportunities and to keep them away from criminal environments. We will continue to strengthen juvenile courts, juvenile high criminal courts, juvenile offices and juvenile justice centers."
'OUR GOAL IS A JUDICIAL ORDER WHERE THE CRIMINAL DOES NOT GO UNPUNISHED'
Stating that they are making preparations for a more accessible system where citizens can directly convey their demands, suggestions and problems they face with the ALO Justice Line, Minister Gürlek said, "Because a justice system that hears the voice of the citizens, does not leave the victim alone and produces timely solutions to problems gives confidence. Our goal is not only to finalize the files. Our goal is a judicial system where the victim does not feel alone, the citizen gets his rights in a timely manner, the criminal does not go unpunished and the trust in justice is strengthened. We see judicial reform not as a periodic activity, but as a continuous improvement process. Technology No matter how much it develops, the real guarantee of justice is the human element. Your knowledge, experience, courage, conscience and high sense of responsibility are the most important power that keeps the scales of justice in balance. As the Ministry of Justice, our duty is not only to listen to the voices coming from the field, to identify the needs correctly and to develop solutions together with you. This is the main purpose of our meeting; to evaluate the problems openly, to disseminate good practices and to further increase the quality of justice services. Your experience, suggestions and efforts are indispensable for the success of our reforms. "The activity that one of you shows in the city, courthouse and office where you work directly touches our nation's sense of justice. Let's not forget that justice should be reciprocated not only in the courtrooms, but in all areas of life and in the hearts of every citizen."
Regarding the investigation against the Friends Association, Minister Gürlek said, "This investigation shows that our state resolutely protects the good will and trust of our citizens. Of course, our transparent and accountable non-governmental organizations that work shoulder to shoulder with our state in disasters, crises and moments when social solidarity is needed are one of our greatest assets. We have stood by every initiative that increases goodness and is a balm for the wounds of our nation, and we will continue to do so in the future. However, civil society is the one who avoids legal control, arbitrariness or It cannot be a shield to manage our nation's trust without accountability. Transparency is not a choice or a blessing for non-governmental organizations, but a legal and moral obligation. In the rule of law, no position, reputation, title or social media influence is above the law and the independent judiciary. Every penny collected as a donation must be accounted for and for what purpose. No structure operating with the trust of our nation can think that it is immune from the control of the state. "Any attempt is futile. The Turkish judiciary acts according to concrete evidence and laws, not according to artificial agendas, hashtag campaigns or perception operations created on social media," he said.