Justice Minister Akın Gürlek detailed his tenure since February at a meeting with court reporters in Istanbul on Wednesday. In remarks published on Thursday, Gürlek explained how his ministry has stepped up work on unsolved cases and has fought the perception of impunity in the public regarding cases where suspects are considered to have gotten away with their crimes.
Speaking to judicial reporters from Istanbul at the Justice Ministry in Ankara, Gürlek said the Cold Case Crimes Investigation Department was established to assist prosecutors in reopening and reviewing long-unsolved cases.
The unit provides coordination, information sharing and technical support to investigations conducted by chief public prosecutors' offices, while judicial assessments and decisions remain under the authority of prosecutors, he noted.
"We have achieved good results," Gürlek said. "It has been four months since the unit was established, and 40 cases involving 46 victims have been solved."
Gürlek underlined the effort demonstrated that crimes could be solved even years later as investigative techniques and available evidence evolve, adding that resolving long-standing cases could strengthen public confidence in the justice system.
