It would not be wrong to say that social media platforms are becoming more and more widespread around the world day by day. Billions of people use these platforms to share, message or pass time. Of course, when this is the case, it is inevitable to encounter some negativities in these environments where we spend most of our day.
As it is known, the number of people insulting each other on such platforms is quite high. Even though social media companies and authorities try to expand their rules to prevent them, we face such incidents every day. Of course, what should or should not be considered insulting is a separate discussion topic. Now, an interesting event related to this issue has taken place in our country.
‘Stupid’ and ‘Carp’ terms deemed a crime
Serpil Yavaşoğlu, who practices as a lawyer in Kahramanmaraş, on 6 April 2020 from Instagram Şebnem Commented on a post by Capa. Wildoglu asked the name of the mosque in the photo shared in the comment he wrote. Anchor replied to this comment ‘Dolmabahça Bezmialem Mosque’. However, it was noteworthy that E.A, who is reported to be an architect, gave a harsh answer to the question of Yavaşoğlu.
EA comments, “What a fool you are, asking for the name of the mosque. What a pity. Do you know the name of the mosque, freshwater carp?” Using his statements, he insulted Zengin. Wildoglu replied to these comments, “I am not sure enough to insult someone I do not know”. The lawyer then took a screenshot of the speech and filed a criminal complaint with the Kahramanmaraş Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
EA, who was understood to be the architect during the investigation, admitted that the account belongs to him and that he wrote the comments himself. Afterwards, the prosecutor decided to consider the words ‘carp’ and ‘stupid’ as insults and filed a lawsuit with the court demanding that E.A be sentenced to 2 years and 4 months in prison.
Wildoğlu stated in his statements that he is behind his case and added that they will file a lawsuit for non-pecuniary damage after the criminal trial is concluded. The lawyer also warned people about using terms that have the potential to constitute a crime against someone on social media and emphasized that the issue could be brought to the judiciary and lead to a penalty.