Verdict overturned in compensation lawsuit between Süleyman Soylu and Mansur Yavaş: Deemed political polemic

The 25th Civil Chamber of the Ankara Regional Court of Justice has overturned the local court's decision, which had ruled in favor of Mansur Yavaş for 20,000 TL in non-pecuniary damages in the lawsuit between Yavaş and Süleyman Soylu, and instead ruled for the dismissal of the case.

While the court decided that Süleyman Soylu's remarks directed at Mansur Yavaş were lawful, the path has also been cleared for the refund of the previously paid amount.

49,000 TL had been paid, the verdict was overturned

The lawsuit was filed following political criticisms made by Süleyman Soylu against Mansur Yavaş during a program broadcast on a private television channel on the night of April 30, 2023.

Yavaş had filed a lawsuit for non-pecuniary damages, claiming that these statements targeted his personal rights. The court of first instance had ordered Soylu to pay 20,000 lira in non-pecuniary damages, and the decision was put into execution, with approximately 49,000 TL collected including interest and litigation costs. Upon Soylu's appeal, the Regional Court of Justice, which reviewed the file, found this decision to be contrary to law and overturned it entirely.

The appellate decision emphasized that the parties are politicians. The court stated that harsh political criticism falls within the scope of freedom of expression in democratic societies, concluding that Soylu's words were not defamation but rather constituted political polemic and criticism. Therefore, it was stated that the conditions for non-pecuniary damages were not met.

With the decision of the Ankara Regional Court of Justice dated February 3, 2026, the local court's ruling was overturned and the case was dismissed. With this decision, the lawsuit filed by Mansur Yavaş has concluded, and Süleyman Soylu has been found legally justified.