Russian wife sues Turkish husband over ‘elephant’ insult as English racehorses caught in divorce dispute

Özge Eğrikar - ISTANBUL

A Turkish court has ruled to seize more than a dozen English Thoroughbreds owned by a Turkish man as a measure in an ongoing divorce case in which he was accused by his Russian wife of calling her as “fat as an elephant.”

Maria Kitapçı, a Russian-born Turkish citizen, filed for divorce from her husband, Levent Kitapçı, at the Istanbul Family Court. According to court documents, the woman claimed that she was “constantly insulted by her husband who kept telling her that she became as ‘fat as an elephant.’”

Due to what she described as “psychological, physical and economic violence” during their 12-year-old marriage, Maria Kitapçı demanded a compensation of 10 million Turkish Liras as well as alimony of a monthly payment of 30,000 liras for child support.

The plaintiff also asked the court to stop the businessman from transferring his wealth to his father and brother, particularly citing a total of 31 racehorses worth some 3.5 million liras.

Levent Kitapçı, rejecting his wife’s allegations as “lies,” filed a counter-suit by claiming a compensation of 5 million liras.

In its interim ruling, the court decided to seize 19 English Thoroughbred horses and some property owned by the businessman as a temporary measure.

Kitapçı will also pay his wife 7,500 liras each month throughout the divorce case as “precautionary alimony.”