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Türkiye's Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc on Saturday rejected criticism of Türkiye’s judicial system, insisting it is strong, independent and committed to democracy, while dismissing international rankings on rule of law and press freedom as biased.
Speaking in Antalya as part of the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) “Century of Türkiye” program, Tunc said the judiciary has proven itself by prosecuting corruption, blocking coup attempts and upholding the will of the people.
“Our judicial system holds the corrupt accountable, prevents coups, rejects tutelage and respects democracy and the rule of law. This is not accepted by some, and they try to distort investigations to discredit Türkiye,” Tunc told reporters.
He argued that international assessments on the rule of law and freedom of the press are politically motivated. “How can Türkiye rank behind Israel in press freedom? A country where more than 250 journalists have been killed in less than two years has no freedom of the press, not even the right to life for journalists,” he said.
Tunc accused U.S.-based organizations of compiling lists to damage Türkiye’s image and said opposition parties use them as tools in domestic politics. “We will remain vigilant against such smear campaigns,” he said.
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