Know Your Rights: 61 Questions from the Legal Agenda — Attorney Gizem Gonce
This article provides general information. Legislation, time limits and amounts may change over time; obtain an up-to-date assessment of your specific situation.
Attorney Gizem Gonce
Developments in the legal agenda, new regulations, and high court decisions directly affect the daily lives of citizens. Many important legal questions arise on various topics, from social media usage to inheritance sharing, from tenant and landlord disputes to divorce, and from employee rights to the responsibilities of companies.
Attorney Gizem Gonce explained how rights can be protected, in which situations lawsuits can be filed, and the legal deadlines that must be observed by evaluating the legal problems citizens encounter most frequently.
Below are the answers to the new questions in this study; you can reach the answers to other questions in the relevant guides on the site. You can open the explanation by tapping on the question title.
Does calling someone a “çakal” (“jackal”) on social media constitute the crime of insult?
The answer to this question has been debated anew since a decision of the 4th Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation (Yargıtay) came to public attention on 1 November 2026.
The Court of Cassation, by majority vote, reversed the conviction and six-month prison sentence imposed on a person who had used the word “çakal” towards a police officer.
The crime of insult is regulated in Article 125 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK). However, every rude, impolite, or disturbing word does not automatically constitute the crime of insult.
The meaning of the word, the environment in which it is spoken, the addressee, the development of the event, and the quality of offending the person's honor, dignity, and reputation are evaluated together.
This decision does not mean that everyone can say whatever they want from now on. The same word can lead to different legal consequences in different events.
Is it lawful to take camera and audio recordings in the workplace?
Using cameras in the workplace for security purposes may be lawful under certain conditions. However, this authority does not eliminate the private lives of employees.
The purpose for which the camera system is installed, whether employees are informed, how long the footage is stored, and who can access it are important.
Audio recording can be a more severe interference than video recording. In particular, the continuous and secret recording of employees' voices can lead to serious legal problems.
Surveillance in places where the expectation of privacy is high, such as break areas, locker rooms, and restrooms, should be evaluated much more strictly.
With regard to allegations of unlawful data processing, employees may consider the application and complaint procedures available under the Law on the Protection of Personal Data (KVKK).
Can a lawsuit be filed against managers if the company’s assets are stripped (the company is “hollowed out”)?
In case of unlawful reduction of company assets, use of company resources for personal purposes, or causing damage to the company, the legal and criminal liability of managers may arise.
Article 553 of the Turkish Commercial Code (TTK) for joint-stock companies and relevant liability provisions for limited companies are evaluated.
Compensation for company damage depends on demonstrating the connection between the managers' fault, unlawful conduct, and the damage.
Depending on the concrete case, breach of trust, fraud, or other crimes may also arise.
Who is responsible if the container is delivered late?
Responsibility for late delivery of a container depends on at which stage and through whose fault the delay occurred.
The contractual and actual relationships between the carrier, the port operator, the agent, the shipper and the consignee must be examined.
The legal basis for fees such as demurrage and detention, contract provisions, and delivery processes are important.
Every delay does not automatically give rise to the carrier's liability.