What might seem like a harmless phone contact entry has landed a Turkish man in legal trouble and established a groundbreaking precedent in the country’s legal system.
His decision to save his wife’s name as “Tombik” — Turkish for “chubby” — in his mobile phone became a key piece of evidence that contributed to a court ruling against him for emotional abuse.
The case, which originated in a local family court in Usak before making its way to Turkey’s Supreme Court of Appeals in October 2025, began as a mutual divorce proceeding. Both parties wanted to end their marriage, but the wife brought forward serious allegations against her husband, claiming he had subjected her to a pattern of insulting behavior through text messages.
The evidence painted a troubling picture of verbal mistreatment. According to local news outlets, the messages included harsh statements such as “Get lost, I don’t want to see your face” and “Let the devil see your face.” However, it was the seemingly small detail of how he had labeled her in his phone’s contact list that caught the court’s attention and ultimately shaped the legal outcome.
The local family court initially found the husband guilty of emotional abuse, a decision that Turkey’s 2nd Civil Chamber of the Supreme Court of Appeals later affirmed. In delivering its ruling, the Supreme Court made a statement that has since resonated across social media and legal circles alike.
“A spouse’s derogatory, mocking, or unpleasant characterization of the other is contrary to the obligation to respect the marital union. Such behavior constitutes a fault,” the court declared. The ruling went further, offering a stark reminder: “Even when you save your spouse’s name in your contacts, do not exceed the limit of respect.”
While courts in Turkey have previously accepted text messages and social media posts as evidence in family law cases, this ruling establishes that even private contact information stored in a phone can demonstrate a pattern of disrespect and emotional harm.
The legal foundation for this decision rests on Turkey’s Civil Code, which, as reported by local news outlet, requires that spouses are “obligated to show loyalty, respect, and understanding towards each other.” The Supreme Court’s ruling effectively extends this obligation beyond public interactions and verbal exchanges to encompass all forms of communication — even those the offending party might have assumed were private.
The husband attempted to mount his own legal defense by countersuing his ex-wife and accusing her of infidelity. However, the court examined the evidence presented and determined there was insufficient proof to support his allegations.
As a result of the ruling, he was ordered to increase both his child support and alimony payments to his former spouse.