Üsküdar Municipality had filed a criminal complaint: Verdict reached in Santa Claus investigation

During the Women's Handmade New Year's Market set up at Mimar Sinan Square in Üsküdar, Istanbul, an unidentified person was seen distributing brochures while dressed in a Santa Claus costume. As the incident spread rapidly on social media, some users reacted with comments such as, "Üsküdar Municipality is inviting people to a Christmas market by dressing someone up as Santa Claus. Let it be known that this is an Islamic country."

MUNICIPALITY STATEMENT: "WE HAVE NO CONNECTION"

Following these posts, a statement was issued by the Üsküdar Municipality. The municipality stated that the person distributing the brochures had no connection to them and that no brochures had been printed for the Women's Handmade Market. The statement read, "It has been observed that certain social media accounts are posting that an individual dressed as Santa Claus is distributing brochures for our New Year's Women's Handmade Market on behalf of our municipality. The person in question has no relationship with our municipality whatsoever. Our municipality has not printed any brochures for the announcement of our Women's Handmade Market, and it is understood that this entirely fabricated act was carried out for the purpose of provocation."

NON-PROSECUTION DECISION FROM THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE

Following developments regarding the incident, the Üsküdar Municipality filed a criminal complaint alleging "public dissemination of misleading information." In the municipality's petition, it was noted that an activity unrelated to them was falsely associated with the municipality on social media, and that the post created a false perception in society and threatened public peace. Furthermore, it was emphasized that the use of the phrase "This is an Islamic country" in the post, which received over 11 thousand views, contained provocation aimed at excluding people of different faiths and fostering feelings of hatred and enmity in the public.

The Istanbul Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, at the conclusion of the investigation, ruled that there were no criminal elements behind the distribution of the brochures. Therefore, a decision of non-prosecution was issued on behalf of the public.

It was stated that the application was made on January 2, 2026, following posts made on social media with baseless allegations against the municipality. In the municipality's criminal complaint, it had requested that proceedings be initiated on the grounds of "intentional provocation exceeding the limits of freedom of expression, threatening social peace, and damaging the municipality's reputation in the public eye."

With the prosecutor's final decision, the controversy that began with the distribution of brochures by a person in a Santa Claus costume in Üsküdar has been legally closed.