Court Dismisses PM Libel Case

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's libel claim against the Ortadoğu (Middle East) newspaper for violating his personal rights through an article by Zeki Saracoglu was dismissed by the The Ankara 18th Civil Court of First Instance on Tuesday.

The court rejected Erdogan's claim for 10,000 YTL (USD 8 thousand) moral compensation from the newspaper and its columnist for an article titled "Is this vertebrate or worm politics?" where it was alleged that remarks insulting and ridiculing the Prime Minister were made.

The article by Saracoglu said "Tayyip Erdogan has no right to make the turban problem an instrument of politics" and concluded, "What is he waiting for a solution? Why does he not put into force a policy with a spine, why does he move with the policy of a worm?"

Lawyers of both sides attended Tuesday's hearing where Erdogan's attorney Fatih Sahin claimed his client was subject to heavy insults that were impossible to tolerate in this article. The defence lawyer argued, however, that the remarks in the article were in the scope of criticism and requested for the case to be dismissed. After evaluating both arguments, the judge dismissed the case. (EÖ/AD/II/YE)