Justice Minister says he won't receive orders after Soylu blasts judiciary for not arresting man who insulted his mother

Duvar English

Justice Minister Abdülhamit Gül has said that he won't receive orders to arrest people a day after Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu blasted the judiciary for not arresting a social media user who insulted his mother. 

"My mother has been in the hospital for 45 days. This vile person who swore underneath the picture of me and my mother was brought to court and freed on condition of judicial control," Soylu tweeted on Jan. 20. 

"What should I do? What difference does it make that I'm a minister? What's the meaning when I can't protect my mother's honor while I deal with the issues of the people and the state?" he asked. 

The minister also said that he doesn't want the social media user to be arrested at this point.

"I'll accept it as a provocation if he is detained again after my tweet," Soylu said. 

A day later, Minister Gül slammed the calls on him to arrest people.

"I'm addressing those who give orders to me to arrest people on social media: The Turkish Republic is a state of law," Gül said on Jan. 21.

"The law and rules apply here. Those who don't like the way things are working can go and object, but no one can shake their fingers at the judiciary," he said. 

Gül noted that "no one can expect the justice minister to intervene in the judicial process." 

"The Justice Minister doesn't wear the robes of a judge or prosecutor. I haven't worn it and will never do so," he said.