It is no exaggeration to say that a new "digital era" has begun in the practice of divorce in Turkey. The decision of the Civil Court's appellate chamber, issued a few days ago, sparked widespread discussion in the country. Now it has been officially confirmed that "like" under other women's photos on social networks can also be assessed as a factor undermining marriage stability. As Habertürk wrote, this verdict serves as a precedent in future similar cases.
The incident began with a family dispute in the city of Kayseri. The woman appealed to the court, recognizing her husband's liking of other women's photos as disrespect, loss of trust, and a threat to family stability. At the same time, he also complained about the lack of financial support. The woman demanded alimony in the amount of 5,000 Turkish lira and compensation for material damage exceeding half a million lira.
Her husband denied the accusations and, on the contrary, accused his wife of insulting his father and emphasized that he was extremely jealous. He also demanded moral compensation in the amount of 500,000 lira.
The position of the first instance became clear: the man was found "gravely guilty" of the dissolution of the marriage. The court ordered her to pay 40,000 lira in material compensation, 40,000 lira in moral compensation, and 750 lira in alimony.
The husband, dissatisfied with this decision, filed an appeal. However, the higher court also officially confirmed the woman's statement. Only the amount of compensation was reduced by 30 thousand lira, but the amount of alimony was increased to 1000 lira.
The main statement of the court drew attention:
"Licking is not infidelity in itself, but it can have a psychological impact that undermines marital trust."
That is, now in Turkey, courts will take into account behavior in the digital space - likes, comments, reposts, and any online close relationship - when assessing the level of family loyalty. This can lead not only to unbridled jealousy or distrust, but also to financial consequences - compensation, alimony, and other payments.
According to lawyers, this decision increases the likelihood that online behavior will be cited as the main argument in a large portion of family disputes in Turkey in the future. Digital traces are now becoming increasingly important not only for social networks but also for the legal field.
Most interestingly, this decision could trigger new debates about Turkey's digital communication culture - where does the border end? And how does a digital like affect trust in real life?
These questions are open for now...
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