Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan is going to receive TL 30,000 (€ 15,000) in compensation from Osman Baydemir, Mayor of the Diyarbakýr Metropolitan Municipality (south-eastern Anatolia). Erdoðan sued the Kurdish politician by reason of a statement made on 24 December 2009. Baydemir had said, "We tell the ones who divide us into hawks and doves to go to hell", using a very rude expression in Turkish. On Wednesday (16 February), Baydemir declared that he was going to pay the fine.

In his statement, Baydemir announced, "Our neutral and independent judiciary works with rocket speed. The decision was given within two sessions. I will not appeal the decision given by the utterly independent and completely neutral judiciary that has always been standing by the oppressed and just people until today".

PM Erdoðan had launched a trial on charges of "attacking his personal rights". The final hearing was held before the Ankara 10th Civil Court of First Instance on Tuesday (15 February). The court decided for a TL 30,000 compensation fine. Erdoðan had initially claimed TL 50,000 (€ 25,000).

Baydemir added in his statement that "the words I used were bad. But why did I use these bad words? To say it frankly, I was persecuted. We were persecuted. And this persecution is still going on".

"I promise to give the house I live in to the Prime Minister. I just have one wish. He should respect my people. He should respect us. I do not want anything else. I will pay 30,000 lira. I am going to pay in installments though".