It is emphasized that the fight against terrorism in Türkiye is not limited to armed organizations and that those who exercise state authority unlawfully can also cause serious harm to institutions. Efforts to shed light on unsolved killings, disappearances, murders, and assassinations in the recent past have been hampered by the failure of oversight mechanisms to function effectively at times.
It was announced that 6 unsolved murders were solved after inconclusive cases were reopened during Justice Minister Akın Gürlek’s tenure, and that the investigations were subsequently expanded, shedding light on many more incidents. However, it is noted that what matters is not the numbers, but whom the investigations reach, what evidence they are based on, and how the judicial proceedings conclude.
While it is stated that these developments could undermine the belief that “nothing will happen to those in power,” the message of Italy’s Clean Hands operation—that “no one should be above the law”—is recalled. It is noted that the investigations must not turn into political retaliation and that the law should focus on actions and evidence rather than office or identity. It is said that confidence in the rule of law will be established when the opposition can also acknowledge that the law is functioning when it is affected, and that citizens expect even powerful people to be held accountable. It is argued that social trust cannot be secured solely by capturing terrorists.
Why it matters
This framework treats the resolution of unsolved cases not merely as a success of criminal investigations, but as a test of institutional oversight against the unlawful use of state authority. Whether the process generates trust depends less on the number of cases concluded than on whether investigations are based on actions and evidence, regardless of office or identity, and on their outcomes in court. The developments therefore also concern citizens questioning why oversight mechanisms proved ineffective in the past. The main unresolved issues are how far the investigations will extend, what evidence will be used, and whether the process can be kept free from the appearance of political retaliation. Trust in the rule of law, meanwhile, requires not only that powerful people can be held accountable, but also recognition that the same standards apply to proceedings against the opposition.