Liking other women’s posts can justify divorce, a court rules amid growing ‘micro-cheating’ debate

In a ruling that has drawn widespread attention, Turkey’s Court of Cassation (Yargıtay) upheld a decision ordering a husband to pay monthly alimony and compensation after finding that his repeated habit of liking other women’s photos on social media violated his legal duty of marital loyalty.The Daily Mail reports that the dispute originated in the central Turkish city of Kayseri, where a woman identified only as HB filed for divorce, accusing her husband, SB, of humiliating her and persistently engaging with other women online. According to the filing, SB spent excessive time on social media, liking photographs and leaving suggestive comments.Her lawyers argued that this conduct breached the obligation of loyalty explicitly laid out in Turkish civil law, and sought financial compensation.SB denied the allegations and counter-filed for divorce, claiming HB had insulted his father and that her jealousy had damaged his reputation.After reviewing both claims, the local family court concluded that the husband was more at fault, noting that his behaviour was repeated and public, rather than an isolated incident.The court ordered SB to pay 1,000 Turkish lira per month in alimony (around £25) and 60,000 lira in compensation (around £1,500). In its written judgment, the court made clear that online conduct should not be dismissed as insignificant.“These seemingly harmless online interactions can actually intensify emotional insecurity and upset the balance of the relationship,” the ruling stated.SB appealed, arguing that the financial penalty was excessive. However, Yargıtay upheld the ruling in full, effectively confirming that repeatedly liking other women’s photos on social media can amount to a breach of marital loyalty under Turkish law.Legal experts say the significance of the case lies in the fact that it was endorsed at the highest judicial level.While the ruling sparked jokes on social media, lawyers warn its implications are serious. Screenshots, messages and other digital records are increasingly being treated as admissible evidence when courts assess fault in divorce cases.“Now, screenshots, messages, and all digital interactions will be considered when determining the fault of each party. I advise citizens to keep this in mind when using social media,” one lawyer told Turkish newspaper Haberler.The case has also renewed discussion around “micro-cheating”, a term used by psychologists to describe behaviour that stops short of a physical affair but still undermines trust. This typically involves repeated or flirtatious engagement with someone outside the relationship, especially when it is public, secretive, or brushed off as harmless.But the issue is not about a like, the issue is a repeated pattern which can be indicative of unfaithfulness. In the court of opinions, i.e, social media, this debate is quite heated. One user talking about micro cheating wrote, "liking other girls pictures while you have a whole girlfriend is not cool & it has nothing to do with her being insecure or anything.. no one wants to hear "oh yeah her man likes my story all the time" that’s so embarrassing & you shouldn’t put your girl in a situation like that."Another user said, "Cheating can also be emotional cheating. It is being easily attracted to other people all the time while you’re in a relationship, having “friends” you’re attracted to, following & liking content of people you find attractive, knowing who to move on next with if you ever break up."A third user laughed off the idea. They wrote, "No how could that be cheating."