Yargıtay upholds dismissal of worker who struck supervisor

The Turkish Court of Cassation (Yargıtay) has upheld a ruling allowing an employer to terminate an employee without severance pay following a physical altercation at a workplace in Balıkesir. The incident involved an employee striking a shift supervisor with an object during a dispute over perceived unfair treatment.

While a local court in Kepsut initially ruled in favor of the employee, granting severance and notice pay due to insufficient evidence of provocation, the Bursa Regional Court of Justice overturned this decision. The regional court classified the physical act as “harassment” (sataşma), which constitutes grounds for justified termination. The Yargıtay 9th Civil Chamber ultimately affirmed the regional court's decision, ruling that the termination was lawful under employment regulations.