Türkiye’s highest appeals court has ruled that the Turkish title of the internationally known novel “My Sweet Orange Tree” reflects an original creative choice by its translator, paving the way for possible compensation over its unauthorized use.
This decision concerns the Turkish title “Şeker Portakalı” (literally meaning “Sugar Orange”), used for the Turkish edition of Brazilian author Jose Mauro de Vasconcelos’ classic novel “Meu Pe de Laranja Lima.”
The novel was introduced to Turkish readers around 35 years ago by translator Aydın Emeç, who chose the title “Şeker Portakalı” instead of a word-for-word version.
Following its immense success and over 130 editions, a conflict arose when Can Publishing, one of Türkiye’s leading publishing houses, released a new translation of the novel by a different translator but continued to use the same Turkish title.
In 2019, Emeç’s son, Ali Selim Emeç, filed a lawsuit seeking 130,000 Turkish Liras ($3,000) in damages, arguing that the title was used without permission.
Lower courts rejected the claim, ruling that the title did not involve sufficient independent creativity to warrant protection.
On appeal, however, the Court of Cassation overturned those decisions.
In a landmark ruling, the court said the phrase "Şeker Portakalı” was not a word-for-word translation of the original title and reflected the translator’s personal interpretation of the novel’s tone and emotional core.
Legal experts say the ruling could set an important precedent for translators’ rights in Türkiye, particularly regarding titles and other creative decisions made during translation.
According to data released by the Turkish Librarians’ Association (TKD), "My Sweet Orange Tree” was the most borrowed adult book from public libraries nationwide last year, underscoring its enduring appeal.
Widely regarded as a coming-of-age classic, the novel holds a special place in Türkiye’s literary landscape, often included in school reading lists and frequently discussed in popular culture.
