Taxi Driver, Pepper Spray & Wasted Court Time

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 11 January 2020)




Sevük made up his pepper spray cans to look like guns, 
adding to the confusion.

At Istanbul's Atatürk Airport on 26 August 2018, taxi driver Doğan
Sevük refused to take Bilal Özbilge, his wife Burcu and two of their
friends to their home, claiming that he had another customer.  An
argument ensued and Sevük used pepper spray against Bilal and his
two friends.  When Burcu hanım tried to intervene she was sprayed,
too, by Sevük, who then fled the scene.

Subsequently, the public prosecutor ruled that although such disputes
are normally settled by arbitration, the use of pepper spray made
arbitration impossible because it is considered a weapon.  Consequently,
Bilal Özbilge was charged with insulting, wounding and threatening,
while Sevük was charged with insulting and wounding. 

In his defense, Sevük stated in court that "they started it! And I'm the
real victim! When they attacked me I sprayed them but not directly.
They were affected by the pepper smell. (!) After being attacked by
these four people I got into my cab but they dragged me out again."

The court ruled that since pepper spray is considered a weapon,
Sevük was sentenced to pay a fine of 4,480 TL (about $800), but
the fine was deferred (!).  Bilal Özbilge was acquitted. 




     Judge understandably exhausted after settling this one.