Ankara Mayor Ordered to Pay 1 Turkish Kuruş For Defamation

Ankara 15th Assize Court found Ankara Metropolitan Mayor Melih Gökçek guilty of insulting Chamber of City Planners “through the media”, ordering him to pay 1 Turkish kuruş for non-pecuniary damages.

The aforementioned case originated from Gökçek’s words “I wouldn’t even make hayloft landscape order to Chamber of City Planners”. 

In February 2012, the chamber filed and achieved a suspension order of a construction project in Dikmen Valley, Ankara. 

On October 30, the court ordered Gökçek to pay 1 Turkish kuruş - the smallest Turkish currency.  

“Our legitimate position has been marked”

Chamber of City Planners Chair Necati Uyar made the following statement upon the announcement of the verdict: 

“By this ruling, the court has marked our struggle against İ. Melih Gökçek who chose to be aggressive and insulting in order to conceal his failed terms of mayorship. This ruling, like in all our struggle, meant that our efforts were legitimate.” (BK/BM)

* Click here to read the original article in Turkish.