Özgür Özel wins lawsuit filed against Melih Gökçek

The Ankara 9th Civil Court of First Instance ruled that the social media posts made by Melih Gökçek constituted an attack on the personal rights of Özgür Özel. On February 6, 2025, Gökçek had made claims on his social media account regarding Özel, stating that "he was drinking at a hotel bar at night and therefore could not attend a television program in the morning." This post also included the phrase, "Do you understand now why Özgür promised to lower rakı prices?"

Özgür Özel filed a lawsuit demanding 100,000 Turkish Lira in non-pecuniary damages, stating that these claims harmed his personal rights. The court ruled that Gökçek's statements constituted an attack on personal rights and warranted non-pecuniary damages. However, the court decided that Gökçek should pay 20,000 TL in compensation, taking into account his social and economic status and the nature of the incident, while noting that non-pecuniary damages should not be a means of enrichment.

The decision will be implemented with legal interest accruing from January 18, 2025. Furthermore, the parties have the right to appeal the decision to the Ankara Regional Court of Justice within two weeks.

Özgür Özel had previously donated the compensation he won from Melih Gökçek, who had targeted Türkan Saylan, to the Association for Supporting Contemporary Living.