Top Europe rights court rejects Turkey's appeal over ruling on main opposition chair Kılıçdaroğlu
The European Court of Human Rights has rejected an appeal by the Turkish government, upholding an October ruling that ordered Turkey to pay main opposition CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu compensation for violating his freedom of expression over his criticism of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
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The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has rejected an appeal by Turkey against a ruling that found main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu right in his case against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
With the ECHR's latest ruling, Turkey will pay Kılıçdaroğlu 6,385 euros in material compensation and 5,000 euros in immaterial compensation.
Kılıçdaroğlu in 2018 applied to the ECHR on the grounds that his freedom of expression was violated when he was fined for criticizing then-Prime Minister Erdoğan in 2012.
The CHP leader criticized Erdoğan, who is also the leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), on two separate parliamentary group meetings on Jan. 31 and Feb. 7, 2012.
While Turkish courts ruled that Kılıçdaroğlu "attacked Erdoğan's personal rights" in two separate speeches, the ECHR on Oct. 27, 2020 ruled that the country violated the main opposition leader's freedom of expression.
The Turkish government later filed an appeal at the ECHR's Grand Chamber.