Landlord gets prison term over online harassment

ANKARA

In a rare case, a landlord in the capital Ankara has been sentenced to more than two years in prison for employing outrageous methods to evict his tenant, local media reported on April 1.

The landlord, who had rented an apartment to G.A., used deceitful tactics by creating fake dating profiles and sharing her phone number to harass her.

The case unfolded after G.A. applied a legal 25 percent rent increase in 2023, prompting the landlord to demand she vacate the premises. Refusing without a formal eviction order, G.A. reported the matter to authorities.

An investigation led to the discovery that the IP addresses linked to the fake profiles traced back to V.C., the landlord. On Jan. 14, an Ankara convicted V.C., sentencing him to three months for disturbing the peace and two years for the illegal data offense.

However, the court decided to suspend the execution of the sentence, citing the absence of prior criminal convictions and the lack of harm to the victim.