A Turkish court has ordered Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar to pay 15,000 Turkish lira in damages to İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu in a defamation case stemming from allegations made on social media, the Gazete Duvar news website reported.
An İstanbul court on Tuesday ruled against Bayraktar, CEO of defense contractor Baykar and brother of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s son-in-law Selçuk Bayraktar, in a lawsuit filed by İstanbul Mayor İmamoğlu. The case concerned a post by Bayraktar on social media in which he accused İmamoğlu of supporting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies.
Bayraktar’s April 2024 post on X referred to İmamoğlu as someone who “feeds PKK members” and called on the mayor to “stop unleashing his dogs” on Bayraktar. The post sparked immediate backlash from İmamoğlu’s legal team, which filed a defamation lawsuit claiming the statements were unfounded and intended to damage the mayor’s reputation.
During the trial, İmamoğlu’s lawyer stressed that the mayor had no ties to terrorist organizations and called the allegations “completely unfounded.” Bayraktar’s lawyer defended the remarks as political criticism, but the court ruled that the comments constituted defamation.
The court ordered Bayraktar to pay İmamoğlu 15,000 lira in damages plus interest. A detailed explanation of the verdict is expected within a month. Both parties reserve the right to appeal.
The lawsuit is part of a broader conflict between İmamoğlu, a prominent member of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), and individuals close to Erdoğan’s government. İmamoğlu, who is a vocal critic of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), has emerged as a key opposition figure amid speculation about a post-Erdoğan political landscape.
Baykar, which was co-founded by Selçuk Bayraktar, Erdoğan’s son-in-law, is a leading defense contractor known for manufacturing drones used in several international conflicts. The company has been accused of benefiting from government favoritism, further inflaming political tensions between Erdoğan’s allies and opposition figures such as İmamoğlu.