Journalist Mine Kırıkkanat has emerged victorious in her legal battle against author Elif Şafak, accusing her of plagiarism in Şafak's novel "Bit Palas," allegedly drawing from Kırıkkanat's work, "Sinek Sarayı."
If the decision stands after the appeals process, a new edition of Elif Şafak's "Bit Palas" will be prohibited, and existing copies in the market will be recalled.
Elif Şafak to pay compensation to Mine Kırıkkanat for plagiarism
In response to the matter, Elif Şafak issued a written statement through her publishing house today, claiming that Mine Kırıkkanat has been "harassing" her for years and hurling insults. Şafak characterized Kırıkkanat's stance as "baseless slander" and announced her intention to escalate the case to a higher court, filing a lawsuit against Kırıkkanat for material and moral compensation. Şafak's statement briefly says:
"First and foremost, it must be understood that this issue is not built on a legal foundation. This case is not about protecting intellectual and artistic rights or related to literature. Instead, it is constructed upon personal obsession and ill will. I will attempt to explain the reasons step by step.
"Kırıkkanat, through this lawsuit, claims that my novel 'Sinek Sarayı' (1990) is a plagiarism of her work, 'Bit Palas' (2002). Our legal team has presented a detailed report to the court, comprising 150 pages and including opinions from reputable literary critics and academicians. You can access this document here."
"In summary, Kırıkkanat alleges similarities between her book and mine, such as both featuring an apartment in Istanbul, references to flies and fleas, marginal characters, cats, and trash bins. However, this is the extent of the resemblance. Literary critic Ismail Güzelsoy aptly notes: 'If I randomly picked two books from the shelf, I would find more similarities between them than these two.' To claim plagiarism based on such reasons, unless fueled by terrible envy or malice, indicates a form of mental eclipse.
"Unfortunately, the 1st Intellectual and Industrial Property Rights Court, instead of considering the comprehensive report we provided, which includes expert opinions, appointed an expert without any competence or expertise in literature. The court completely disregarded the views of our experts, rejected our persistent demands for a qualified expert, and, based on this unqualified expert's report, concluded that I committed plagiarism.
"If there is even a gram of legal ground left in our country, I want to emphasize that we will pursue it to the end, not just for ourselves but for all writers and art producers. I extend my greetings to all literature enthusiasts, conscientious minds in our country, and dear readers who have supported me throughout this process. Stay strong."
"No similarity between the two books"
The publishing house also included excerpts from reports by literary figures and authors who had read both books.
Gaye Boralıoğlu - Author: "Mine Kırıkkanat's work 'Sinek Sarayı' is also set in Beyoğlu, but unlike Elif Şafak, she highlights the local characteristics of Beyoğlu. Thus, she paints a portrait of this colorful and multicultural district through its characters. She constructs a more impressionistic-realistic narrative. The differences that could exist between the paintings of two artists looking at the same tree do not invalidate the fact that one is a Monet and the other a Picasso."
Müge Sökmen - Publisher (Metis Yayınları): "We published Elif Şafak's novel 'Bit Palas' in March 2002. I want to state that there is no similarity between 'Bit Palas' and Mine G. Saulnier's (Kırıkkanat) 'Sinek Sarayı' in terms of content, literary understanding, writing technique, and the author's stance. There is no indication of a resemblance that would suggest plagiarism."
Oya Baydar - Author: "There is no similarity, let alone plagiarism, between 'Sinek Sarayı' and 'Bit Palas' in terms of plot, style, characters, or stories, except for the fact that the protagonists in both novels share an apartment. Rather than trying to develop their own original works, it is a loss for our literature that our writers engage in such accusations and lawsuits." (TY/VK)
