Turkish actress Ezgi Mola says sexual predator Musa Orhan demanded 50,000 liras to drop 'insult' case

Duvar English

Turkish actress Ezgi Mola has said that former specialized sergeant Musa Orhan had sought 50,000 Turkish Liras in damages from her in an ongoing "insult" case. 

In December 2021, Orhan was sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting the 18-year-old Kurdish woman İpek Er in the southeastern province of Batman. After the sexual assault, the young woman committed suicide in July 2020. 

Er’s death and assault by Orhan enraged people in Turkey on social media at the time. Hundreds of thousands of people online condemned his horrific actions and called for his arrest and prosecution. 

One of those people was Ezgi Mola, an actress known for her role in blockbuster Turkish films and television shows. She called him a “rapist bastard” and told him to “drown in his conscience” in a tweet. She also called for his arrest with a hashtag widely used at the time: #MusaOrhanTutuklansın.

Orhan and his lawyers claim that this constitutes insult or slander, and are requesting a prison sentence of up to two years and four months for Mola. 

The actress, for her part, rejects any idea that she initiated the “lynching” of Orhan. 

During a hearing of the case on Feb. 9, Mola said that Orhan’s legal team had previously contacted her for a settlement. They said if she deleted the tweet, apologized, and paid Orhan 50,000 liras, they would drop the case. Mola refused. The team then called back and said Orhan would accept the settlement for 50,000 liras alone. She again refused, and the case was brought to court.

Mola’s lawyer says that the actress denies all claims made against her and stands by her statement. He further stated that she would file a criminal complaint against Orhan.

The court adjourned the hearing after the prosecution made its statements, allowing the defense to prepare its rebuttal.