Turkish pianist sues his student’s mother over harassment

Özge Eğrikar - ISTANBUL

A renowned Turkish pianist has sued the mother of one of his students for harassing him.

Hüseyin Sermet, a 64-year-old state artist, told the Istanbul Family Court that he had met the woman, identified only as Melahat A., when he started to give piano lessons to her son in 2015. 

According to the testimony, the woman then started to stalk Sermet and attended every concert he gave across Turkey for years, while she also kept calling him on the phone to begin a relationship.

When Sermet rejected her citing “professional and personal ethics,” the woman got angry and hurled insults at the pianist by going to his father’s house in the western province of İzmir.

Melahat A. is currently on trial over sexual harassment and could be jailed for up to three years.

“Despite the penal case, Melahat A. continues to harass the client. We demand official protection,” Sermet’s attorney told the court in the latest hearing.

The court accepted the demand and ruled for a two-month restraint order against Melahat A.