Çiftçi says Interior Ministry pursuing 'new security architecture'

ANKARA

The government is launching a new era in domestic security operations that will shift focus from daily enforcement headlines to a broader "new security architecture," Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi said in comments published on March 10, signaling a change in how the government communicates about crime and public safety.

In an interview with daily Hürriyet, Çiftçi outlined plans to reduce the routine public reporting of police and security operations. Under the new approach, the ministry "will no longer start each day with detailed operation news and routine crime statistics will not be posted on social media except in major cases," he said.

Çiftçi described the strategy as a “new security architecture,” aimed at addressing crime not only by its outcomes but by understanding and countering its root causes. The framework emphasizes analyzing how criminal activity is organized, what gaps it exploits and the actors and tools involved, rather than focusing solely on arrest and enforcement numbers.

“Unless we move with a multi‑faceted approach to solving issues, problems, crime, and the source of crime, we cannot achieve lasting results,” Çiftçi told the Hürriyet.

He said the shift is also intended to support more preventive policing and to present security operations in a way that reduces undue alarm, while still maintaining effectiveness. Çiftçi noted the goal of making local police stations places where citizens "feel confident they can find solutions."

The new security architecture will also influence how school safety and youth crime are addressed, with increased preventive coordination between the Interior Ministry and the Education Ministry, he said.

The minister highlighted the need to rethink how crimes involving young people are conceptualized, noting the influence of digital platforms and social environments on children’s behavior.

Former governor of the eastern city of Erzurum, Çiftçi was appointed as minister in a surprise mini cabinet reshuffle made public on Feb. 11, succeeding Ali Yerlikaya.

The presidential decree also named the chief prosecutor in Istanbul, Akın Gürlek, as justice minister, replacing Yılmaz Tunç.

No official reason was given for the shake‑up decision signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, though the Official Gazette said that Tunç and Yerlikaya had “requested to be relieved” of their duties.