Appellate review completed in lawsuit between Kılıçdaroğlu and Soylu: He will pay compensation

The legal process began following a social media post by then-Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu on May 13, 2021, and his remarks during a television program he attended on May 19, 2021.

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu claimed that the statements in question violated his personal rights and demanded a total of 10 kuruş in non-pecuniary damages, requesting 5 kuruş for each statement.

In a press statement regarding the matter, Kılıçdaroğlu also said, "We filed a 5-kuruş lawsuit against a 5-kuruş man."

Süleyman Soylu, on the other hand, argued that his words should be evaluated within the scope of political criticism. Furthermore, he filed a countersuit for 20,000 TL, stating that Kılıçdaroğlu's remarks constituted an attack on his personal rights.

The Ankara 29th Civil Court of First Instance evaluated the parties' statements within the scope of political debate and dismissed both the lawsuit filed by Kılıçdaroğlu and the countersuit filed by Soylu.

Reviewing the file again, the Regional Court of Justice ruled that while Soylu's statements were harsh and hurtful, they remained within the limits of freedom of expression in the context of political debate. Therefore, Kılıçdaroğlu's 10-kuruş lawsuit was dismissed on its merits.

However, the court concluded that some of the statements Kılıçdaroğlu made after the lawsuit exceeded the limits of criticism and constituted an attack on Soylu's personal rights. In this context, it was decided that 10,000 TL in non-pecuniary damages, along with legal interest to accrue from May 28, 2021, be collected from Kılıçdaroğlu and paid to Soylu.

News Source: 12punto