REPUBLIC OF TÜRKİYE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE

MINISTER GÜRLEK: “AS A RESULT OF THE SCREENINGS WE HAVE CARRIED OUT NATIONWIDE, WE HAVE INITIATED A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW PROCESS CONCERNING 638 FILES AND 693 VICTIMS ACROSS 75 PROVINCES.”

STATEMENT FROM MINISTER GÜRLEK ON UNSOLVED CASES

Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek announced that they have elevated the institutional capacity for the clarification of unsolved cases to the highest level, and stated that, as a result of the nationwide screenings they carried out, a comprehensive review process has been initiated concerning 638 files and 693 victims across 75 provinces.

In a post shared on his social media account, Minister Gürlek emphasized that, with the establishment of the Department for the Examination of Unsolved Crimes under the Directorate General for Criminal Affairs, they have once again placed under scrutiny all cases that deeply wound the public conscience, particularly those involving the murders of women and children. Minister Gürlek stated the following:

"With the Department for the Examination of Unsolved Crimes established under our Directorate General for Criminal Affairs, we are once again placing under close scrutiny all cases that deeply wound the public conscience, particularly the murders of women and children.

Within this framework, we have elevated our institutional capacity for the clarification of unsolved cases to the highest level. As a result of the nationwide screenings we conducted, we have initiated a comprehensive review process concerning 638 files and 693 victims across 75 provinces. With evidence-based, meticulous analysis and strong coordination, we will not allow impunity.

Under the leadership of our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we are working with determination to make the Century of Türkiye the century of justice, to uncover the truth in every case, and to ease the conscience of our nation.

We will continue to trace crime and criminals for the manifestation of justice.”

COMPREHENSIVE MOVE FROM THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE: ALL CASES, INCLUDING THE MURDERS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN, ARE BEING PUT ON THE TABLE!

The Ministry of Justice has taken a historic step regarding unsolved cases that have caused public outrage. The “Department for the Examination of Unsolved Crimes,” established under the Directorate General for Criminal Affairs of the Ministry of Justice, has begun a close examination of unsolved investigation files. As a result of screenings conducted in courthouses across all 81 provinces, the pursuit of justice has accelerated with a comprehensive review of 638 investigation files and 693 victims identified in 75 provinces in the first stage.

A TOTAL OF 638 CRITICAL FILES HAVE BEEN PLACED UNDER CLOSE SCRUTINY ACROSS 75 PROVINCES

The newly established Department for the Examination of Unsolved Crimes has begun examining, “from a different perspective,” intentional homicide and missing persons cases that have left deep marks on the public conscience. According to the initial findings, a comprehensive analysis process has been launched concerning 638 files and 693 victims identified across 75 provinces nationwide.

This special unit will elevate institutional capacity to the highest level for the clarification of unsolved cases, particularly including murders of women and children, such as the “Gülistan Doku investigation”, which has been closely followed by the public, and will establish close coordination with the chief public prosecutors’ offices.

A MAP OF TÜRKIYE’S UNSOLVED CASES HAS BEEN DRAWN UP BY PROVINCES

Unsolved murders and victim cases of a nature that could create significant public attention have been compiled one by one across the country. In the first stage, an examination has been launched into a total of 638 files and 693 victims in 75 provinces. According to the data of the Ministry, certain provinces stand out with the intensity of the number of files and victims, included in the scope of examination.

In the ranking, İzmir takes the lead with 49 files and 51 victims, followed by Sakarya with 34 files and 35 victims, and Trabzon with 30 files and 31 victims. Further down the list, Giresun, Tokat, and Tekirdağ each stand out with 29 files and 32 victims (Giresun and Tokat) and 29 files and 31 victims (Tekirdağ). Meanwhile, Malatya with 24 files and 24 victims, Kahramanmaraş with 19 files and 21 victims, and Çanakkale with 17 files and 28 victims are among the provinces with notably high numbers.

Completing the top 15 provinces, the unsolved cases in Bursa (16 files and 18 victims), Düzce (16 files and 18 victims), Diyarbakır (17 files and 18 victims), Uşak (15 files and 17 victims), Elazığ (15 files and 15 victims), and Kütahya (15 files and 15 victims) will be meticulously scrutinized in line with the vision of ensuring the manifestation of justice and combating impunity. In metropolitan provinces such as Ankara and Istanbul, the examinations will be conducted into 10 files and 10 victims each, which are considered of significant importance.

THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE WILL CONDUCT SYSTEMATIC EXAMINATIONS AND CARRY OUT COORDINATION

The Department for the Examination of Unsolved Crimes will not only review the files but also develop methods to ensure the systematic analysis of pending cases within the chief public prosecutor’s offices. In order to prevent crimes from going unpunished, the guidance will be provided on technical, criminal, and analytical methods, and a strong flow of information will be established among the relevant institutions.

In this way, the newly established “Department for the Examination of Unsolved Crimes” will assume a critical role in cases that have remained unresolved for years. This unit will re‑examine files that could not be concluded due to insufficient or obscured evidence. Unsolved cases within the chief public prosecutor’s offices will be systematically reviewed, with the aim of preventing the perception of impunity and easing the conscience of society.

MINISTER GÜRLEK: “OUR GOAL IS A JUSTICE SYSTEM THAT INSPIRES CONFIDENCE”

In his social media post announcing the establishment of the Department, Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek underlined that this initiative is part of the vision of “making the Century of Türkiye the Century of Justice,” and emphasized as follows: “A public prosecutor looks not at the name on the cover of the file, but at the evidence inside. We have created this new unit to ensure that unsolved crimes do not go unpunished and to ease the conscience of society. Our goal is to build a faster, more effective, and more confidence‑inspiring justice system.”