23.02.2026 21:20
The Ankara Regional Court of Appeals, 25th Civil Chamber, ruled in favor of former Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu in the "fraud" case against CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, awarding 25,000 lira in moral damages.
The fierce polemic that started on social media between former Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu and CHP Chairman Özgür Özel ended with a court decision. The appellate court overturned the local court's rejection in Soylu's 1 million lira compensation lawsuit against Özel. The Ankara Regional Court of Appeals, 25th Civil Chamber, ruled for 25 thousand lira in moral damages in favor of Soylu.
THE FUSE OF THE POLEMIC WAS LIT ON SOCIAL MEDIA
The process began after Süleyman Soylu's post on his social media account, which included the statement, "Even the fire of those whose hearts are darkened by lying will be extinguished."
Quoting this post, Özgür Özel stated in his post on the same day, "No rivers, seas, or oceans can extinguish the fire of a liar like you, Süleyman. You be you, don’t speak the truth again before the lies end, okay? Don’t surprise us! Fraudulent Süle."
Following these statements, Soylu filed a 1 million lira moral compensation lawsuit, claiming that his personal rights were violated.
CLEAR DETERMINATION FROM THE COURT: CRITICISM BOUNDARY EXCEEDED
The appellate court's decision stated that the expressions in the social media post dated June 24, 2022, were evaluated as a whole. It was clearly stated in the decision that the words in question could not be considered within the scope of freedom of expression and value judgment.
While the court noted that the boundaries of criticism towards politicians are broad, it emphasized that in the concrete case, the limits of harsh and severe criticism were exceeded and that there was an attack on the personal rights of the plaintiff. Therefore, it was concluded that moral compensation should be awarded in favor of the plaintiff.
WILL PAY 25 THOUSAND LIRA WITH INTEREST
According to the decision, the 25 thousand lira moral compensation will be collected from Özgür Özel along with the legal interest that will accrue from June 27, 2022, and paid to Süleyman Soylu.