Main opposition leader to pay 20,000 liras to Turkish PM

ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency

Main opposition party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. AA Photo

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan won 20,000 Turkish Liras in compensation from the main opposition party leader, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, for the latter’s use of the word “traitor” in a speech.

Erdoğan sued Kılıçdaroğlu, leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) for saying that “he who cannot protect the interests of his country is called a traitor.”

Erdoğan’s lawyers said during the trial that Kılıçdaroğlu’s remarks accused the prime minister of “being a traitor” and “working for other countries.” They claimed that such remarks exceeded the bounds of freedom of expression and demanded compensation for “spiritual damages” from Kılıçdaroğlu.

The lawyer for the CHP leader, however, argued that the remarks did not directly mean “traitor” and added that they were within the limits of criticism.

The court demanded that Kılıçdaroğlu pay 20,000 liras in compensation to Erdoğan. The prime minister’s lawyers had originally demanded 100,000 liras in compensation.