REVISITING THE TU QUOQUE DEFENCE: THE S.S. LOTUS CASE AND ITS RELEVANCE TO CONTEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL LAW

Yıl 2025, Cilt: 15 Sayı: Prof. Dr. Peter HAY 90. Doğum Günü Özel Sayısı, 481 - 512, 23.01.2026

Gonca Ünal

Öz

The S.S. Lotus case (1927) is often cited as the archetype of positivist reasoning in international law, establishing the principle that what is not expressly prohibited is permitted. Yet this reading overlooks a subtler layer of normative reasoning within the judgment. This article revisits Lotus through the lens of the tu quoque argument, commonly dismissed as a fallacy or an obsolete defence in international criminal law. It argues that Turkey’s reliance on provisions borrowed verbatim from the Italian Penal Code and procedural doctrines from the French Code of Criminal Procedure operated as a soft legitimation strategy, implicitly asserting parity with European legal systems. In doing so, Turkey’s argument performed a reflexive form of legality. If Turkey’s law were inconsistent with international norms, so too would be the very European sources from which it was drawn.
Building on Sienho Yee’s typology and Hersch Lauterpacht’s reflections on ‘uncertain situations’ the study shows how tu quoque transcends its narrow criminal law context to function as a discursive mechanism of normative balancing in asymmetrical legal orders. The article situates this within the interwar moment of international adjudication, when sovereignty, imitation, and legality intertwined in the making of modern international law.
Ultimately, the study proposes that the tu quoque argument far from being a mere plea of exculpation retains analytical value for understanding legitimacy and reciprocity in contemporary international law, including emerging fields such as cyber and space regulation. Revisiting Lotus thus illuminates the enduring tension between legality, legitimacy, and equality among sovereigns.

Anahtar Kelimeler

S.S. Lotus Case , Tu Quoque Defence , Legitimacy , Reciprocity , Sovereignty , Mimicry , Asymmetry , Normative Consistency , Interwar Jurisprudence

TU QUOQUE SAVUNMASINI YENİDEN ELE ALMAK: S.S. LOTUS DAVASI VE GÜNCEL ULUSLARARASI HUKUKLA İLİŞKİSİ

Öz

S.S. Lotus Davası (1927), uluslararası hukukta pozitivist akıl yürütmenin arketipi olarak sıklıkla örnek gösterilmekte ve açıkça yasaklanmayan hususlara izin verilmesi ilkesini ortaya koymaktadır. Ancak bu yorum, kararın içindeki daha ince bir normatif akıl yürütme katmanını gözden kaçırmaktadır. Bu makale, uluslararası ceza hukukunda genellikle bir yanılsama veya geçersiz bir savunma olarak reddedilen tu quoque argümanı açısından Lotus Davasını yeniden ele almaktadır. Makale, Türkiye’nin İtalyan Ceza Kanunu’ndan aynen alıntılanan hükümler ve Fransız Ceza Muhakemesi Kanunu’ndan alınan usul doktrinlerine dayanmasının, Avrupa hukuk sistemleriyle eşitliği dolaylı olarak iddia eden yumuşak bir meşrulaştırma stratejisi olarak işlediğini savunmaktadır. Böylelikle Türkiye’nin argümanı, düşünümsel bir hukukilik biçimi sergilemiştir. Türkiye’nin hukuku uluslararası normlarla tutarsızsa, bu hukukun dayandığı Avrupa kökenli hukuk normları da aynı şekilde tutarsızdır.
Sienho Yee’nin tipolojisi ve Hersch Lauterpacht’ın ‘belirsiz durumlar’ üzerine düşüncelerinden yola çıkan çalışma, tu quoque ile ilişkilendirilen dar ceza hukuku bağlamını aşarak asimetrik hukuk düzenlerinde normatif dengeleme için söylemsel bir mekanizma olarak nasıl işlediğini göstermeye çalışmaktadır. Makale, bunu modern uluslararası hukukun oluşumunda egemenlik, öykünme ve hukukiliğin iç içe geçtiği, savaşlar arası dönemde uluslararası yargılamanın bağlamına yerleştirmektedir.
Sonuç olarak, çalışma, tu quoque argümanının, sadece bir aklama savunması olmaktan uzak, siber ve uzay düzenlemeleri gibi yeni ortaya çıkan alanlar da dahil olmak üzere, çağdaş uluslararası hukukta meşruiyet ve karşılıklılığı anlamak için analitik değer taşıdığını öne sürmektedir. Lotus Davasına yeniden bakmak, egemenler arasında hukukilik, meşruiyet ve eşitlik arasındaki süregelen gerilimi de ortaya koymaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

S.S. Lotus Davası , Tu Quoque Savunması , Meşruiyet , Mütekabiliyet , Egemenlik , Taklit , Asimetri , Normatif Tutarlılık , Savaşlar Arası Hukuk

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