A Turkish court has dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan against opposition leader Özgür Özel, ruling that his remarks constituted harsh criticism but did not violate Erdoğan’s personal rights, the Independent’s Turkish edition reported on Sunday.
The İstanbul 8th Civil Court of First Instance rejected Erdoğan’s claim for 1 million lira in non-pecuniary damages due to comments made by Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chairman Özel during an opposition rally in Esenyurt on October 31, 2024. The lawsuit accused Özel of “publicly insulting the president” and “slander” following the arrest of Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer.
During his speech Özel criticized the arrest, claiming it was politically motivated. “If only those in power decide whether there is a problem in this country, then that means we are living under a dictatorship,” Özel said at the time.
The court’s decision emphasized the importance of free expression in a democratic society, citing rulings from Turkey’s Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). “Freedom of expression applies not only to information and ideas that are favorably received but also to those that offend, shock or disturb,” the ruling stated.
The court noted that as a public figure, Erdoğan must tolerate even harsh criticism. It concluded that Özel’s comments, which alleged political interference in the judiciary, were within the bounds of free speech and did not constitute an attack on Erdoğan’s personal rights.
Erdoğan frequently sues opposition politicians and critics for defamation, with courts typically ruling in his favor. Turkey’s judiciary has faced accusations of political influence, particularly since a failed coup in 2016, when thousands of judges and prosecutors were dismissed in a purge that the government justified as part of an anti-coup effort.