News lawsuit between Odatv and Gündem Fethiye

The lawsuit filed by Gündem Fethiye, a local media outlet, against Odatv regarding the report titled “Gendarmerie intervention against villagers in Fethiye Söğütlü who do not want to give their water to the HES (Hydroelectric Power Plant): Seven detained” dates back to August 9, 2024.

Gündem Fethiye followed up on this report, which it published in the evening hours, the next day with news about “lawyers' statements and the release of the villagers.” News sites such as Gazete Duvar, Gazete Oksijen, BirGün, and T24 cited Gündem Fethiye as the source with headlines such as “Gendarmerie intervention against villagers protesting HES in Fethiye.”

However, Odatv did not cite a source in the report it quoted under the headline “Gendarmerie intervention in villagers' HES protest.” After failing to reach a result through negotiations, Gündem Fethiye filed a lawsuit demanding 60 thousand liras in compensation.

Odatv's lawyer, Feza Yalçın, argued that the content of the report “was compiled from sources spread throughout society, and that the photograph did not carry the originality of its owner and did not qualify as a work of art.” After an expert examination, the court concluded that the news and the photograph “did not qualify as a work of art,” and dismissed the case on the grounds that while “the images subject to the lawsuit would benefit from the provisions regarding unfair competition,” the case was not filed under those articles.

This decision was rendered on February 18, 2026; it is now in the appellate court. But interestingly, exactly five days after this decision, Odatv updated the report and added a note at the bottom: “Photos: Gündem Fethiye (Bimedya Gazetecilik Ltd.Şti.).”

In fact, Odatv's addition of this note means acknowledging Gündem Fethiye's justification, but they still proceeded to enforce the 60 thousand lira attorney fee that the court had awarded as “legal fees.” The local newspaper deposited a collateral of 76 thousand liras to stay the execution.

The difficulties and financial conditions faced by journalists working in local media are clear. Despite this, not citing the source for the news and photos they produce is an injustice and a violation of ethical principles. On top of that, collecting attorney fees has been an unmerciful act. I wish this problem could have been solved by talking from the very beginning.

The fact that journalistic products are not considered “works of art” under the law and are not protected by copyright is a separate issue entirely...