Turkey's Supreme Court rules stingy spouse can trigger divorce and damages

Turkey's Supreme Court (Yargıtay) ruled that extreme frugality by a spouse can constitute grounds for divorce and monetary compensation. The decision arose from a case filed by a young woman, identified as K. L., who alleged her husband restricted basic household needs, including turning off lights, limiting water use, prohibiting tea, and denying essential food and heating.

The Court held that actions such as forcing the spouse to sit in darkness to avoid higher electricity bills, limiting heating, and using "food waste" as an excuse to curtail essential supplies amount to marital breakdown. It ordered the divorce, monthly alimony of 1,500 TL, interest‑adjusted material damages of 30,000 TL and moral damages of 50,000 TL. Legal analysts noted that the ruling may serve as a precedent for future family‑law cases in Turkey.