Izmir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office initiated an investigation against CHP Izmir Deputy Tuncay Özkan due to his use of the term ‘snob’ in a social media post against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Erdoğan’s lawyers also filed a 250 thousand liras non-pecuniary damages lawsuit.
While the dictionary of the Turkish Language Association defines the meaning of ‘snob’ as ‘a person who, in dress, speech, language and thought, goes to excesses and excesses that society considers ridiculous and contrary’, there are also Court of Cassation decisions that the word does not carry insulting content.