An Istanbul court has rejected Mehmet Tatlıcı’s request to enforce a $740 million Florida defamation judgment against his stepbrother, Uğur Tatlıcı. The decision is another setback in Mehmet Tatlıcı’s controversial Florida ruling.
The Istanbul Court of First Instance’s refusal to advance the case follows a similar rejection by a Maltese court earlier this year. In Malta, judges cited concerns over due process and proportionality, describing the $740 million award as “stratospheric” and far beyond typical European defamation damages.
The Turkish court’s decision comes amid growing scrutiny of Mehmet Tatlıcı’s legal strategy and public image. A sworn statement from a whistleblower, identified only as H.K., was submitted to Turkish judges. The document alleges that Mehmet Tatlıcı used offshore financial networks, concealed assets, and treated litigation as a personal pursuit rather than a search for justice. According to H.K., Mehmet Tatlıcı described lawsuits as his “hobby” and acknowledged his primary goal was to target Uğur Tatlıcı and Nurten Tatlıcı rather than resolve the underlying dispute.
It remains unclear whether the Istanbul court referenced H.K.’s testimony in its ruling.
With both Malta and now Istanbul declining to enforce the Florida judgment, Mehmet Tatlıcı faces increasing challenges in presenting the ruling as a straightforward legal matter. Instead, courts in multiple countries are examining the judgment’s origins and the motives behind its enforcement.
The Istanbul decision complicates Mehmet Tatlıcı’s efforts to collect on the Florida award in Turkey.