Turkey: Opposition leader loses lawsuit against Erdogan

By Filiz Kinik and Ali Cevahir Akturk

ISTANBUL

Turkey’s main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu on Wednesday lost a lawsuit against the Turkish president, a judicial source said.

Kilicdaroglu will have to pay 142,000 Turkish liras ($30,600) in damages to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his relatives, including his son Ahmet Burak Erdogan, according to a ruling by the 9th Civil Court of First Instance in Istanbul.

Erdogan and his relatives had filed a lawsuit for 1.5 million Turkish liras ($382,000) in damages against the main opposition leader in December 2017.

Kilicdaroglu also early June had lost another lawsuit related to same case against the Turkish president and was subjected to pay 197,000 Turkish liras ($42,500) in damages to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his relatives.

The claim is related to allegations by Kilicdaroglu that members of Erdogan’s family were involved in offshore transactions worth $15 million.