A European Parliament report, expected to be put to a vote on Wednesday, recommends sanctions against Turkish Justice Minister Akın Gurlek over his role in the case of former Istanbul mayor and leading opposition figure Ekrem Imamoglu, currently jailed.
Imamoglu has been behind bars since March 2025 after a court ordered his detention pending trial on multiple corruption charges.
Before becoming justice minister, Gurlek served as Istanbul’s chief public prosecutor and oversaw high-profile legal proceedings involving Imamoglu. He defended his actions, stating that his conscience was clear. Gurlek was appointed justice minister shortly after the conclusion of the trial, a move that critics in Turkey and abroad viewed as a political reward for his role in the case.
Slovenian MEP Vladimir Prebilic, a leading advocate of the sanctions initiative, said: “As long as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continues to govern the country under this regime, no progress with the EU is possible.”
Istanbul prosecutors have filed a sweeping indictment against Imamoglu, accusing the jailed mayor of responsibility for 142 alleged offenses linked to corruption and organized crime.