⚖️ Top Appeals Court Judge Strikes Back at Pro-Government Daily, Vows Legal Action

Head of the 11th Civil Chamber of the Court of Cassation, Abdullah Yaman, rejects ‘FETÖ shadow’ and ‘file manipulation’ claims by Yeni Şafak as a “Reputational Assassination.”

ANKARA—A significant legal and political dispute is intensifying in Turkey, pitting a senior member of the country’s highest judicial body against a media outlet closely aligned with the government.

Abdullah Yaman, President of the 11th Civil Chamber of the Supreme Court of Appeals (Yargıtay), announced he is preparing to file a criminal complaint and a lawsuit for damages against the newspaper Yeni Şafak. This move comes after the daily repeatedly targeted the judge, most recently accusing him of unethical file manipulation and harboring links to the FETÖ organization, which Ankara holds responsible for the 2016 coup attempt.

Newspaper’s Allegations

Yeni Şafak, known for its staunchly pro-government stance, placed Judge Yaman at the center of a controversy with a headline alleging a “FETÖ shadow in the Court of Cassation.” The newspaper’s report specifically accused Yaman of engaging in “file manipulation and a single-number game”—a reference to administrative misconduct regarding case assignments. These accusations are considered highly serious within Turkey’s sensitive political climate, particularly given the historical purges in the judiciary following 2016.

Judge Yaman’s ‘Mandatory’ Response

Judge Yaman did not remain silent. He initially responded fiercely to the allegations by publicly labeling the paper the “Yeni Şafak gang” and categorically rejecting all claims, stating they amounted to an “assassination of reputation based on slander.”

Following the newspaper’s persistence in running the claims, Yaman issued a new, detailed “Mandatory Statement” via his social media accounts, where he launched his legal counteroffensive.

In his statement, Yaman scorned the publication, referring to the newspaper as a “scribbler” attempting to “set the standard with threats and blackmail.”

“This scribbler Yeni Şafak continues its mercenary work without even a commercial break, pursuing the notion of ‘no stopping, just continued fabrication,’” Yaman wrote on Facebook. “We did not resort to the common reflex of seeking a court-ordered gag order… but since they continue the wholesale slander without presenting any concrete evidence of abuse of duty, the job has fallen to me.”

Addressing the FETÖ Claims Directly

Judge Yaman meticulously addressed the highly charged accusations of FETÖ ties, citing personal impact and official records:

• He confirmed that one of his older sons was previously suspended from public duty under suspicion of FETÖ ties but was reinstated after no evidence was found against him.
• He also revealed that another son was allegedly subjected to constant “mobbing” (harassment) due to the concept of “familial punishment” in current legal understanding, forcing him to leave the country and seek work abroad as a laborer.
• Yaman categorically denied claims that any of his siblings were under investigation for FETÖ or had fled the country.

Judicial Integrity Defense

To counter the claims of “file manipulation,” Yaman detailed the judicial process of the specific case cited by Yeni Şafak, noting its institutional weight:

• The decision by his 11th Civil Chamber was ultimately affirmed by the General Assembly of Civil Chambers, a 25-member body composed of representatives from all civil divisions of the Supreme Court.
• “To suggest that the outcome was solely realized by my personal initiative is an insult to the will of the other high judges and, ultimately, to the corporate identity of the Court of Cassation,” Yaman asserted.
• He explained that the legal dispute cited by the paper centered on a decision by the Constitutional Court regarding procedural deficiency (insufficient justification), not a determination of the rights-holder. He stated that his chamber had rectified this procedural deficiency, and the ruling was therefore legally sound.

Yaman concluded his statement by thanking his supporters for their “noble stance” and reaffirmed his commitment to his judicial role: “One who takes refuge in their Lord fears no one. We will continue to guard justice, God willing.”

The move by a top judge to take formal legal action against a powerful government-aligned media group signals an escalation of internal political tensions within the Turkish state apparatus.