Violation Of Personal Rights Through Social Media Posts Under Turkish Law

Social media has significantly expanded individuals’ ability to express their opinions, access information, and participate in public debate. However, this expansion has also created new areas of infringement with respect to individuals’ honor and reputation, private life, visual data, personal data, and social standing. Under Turkish law, the violation of personal rights through social media posts is not resolved through a single legal norm; rather, it is assessed through the combined application of the Constitution, the Turkish Civil Code, the Turkish Code of Obligations, the Turkish Penal Code, Law No. 5651, and Law No. 6698 on the Protection of Personal Data. While Article 20 of the Constitution guarantees the protection of private life and personal data, Article 26 safeguards freedom of expression and dissemination of thought. Therefore, the core issue in social media disputes is the establishment of a fair balance between freedom of expression and personal rights.