Newsletters
Turkish authorities have launched an investigation into former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu over remarks circulated on social media that were deemed insulting toward President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office began examining social media posts after determining that some statements appeared to contain remarks that could constitute an insult against the president, but it did not disclose the specific statements under investigation.
Reports in Turkish media suggested that the investigation centers on remarks Davutoglu made during a public event in Diyarbakir in 2022, when he was campaigning ahead of the 2023 elections.
Davutoglu is a former prime minister and former leader of the Future Party, which has since been dissolved. Before establishing his own political movement, he was a senior figure in Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party, or AK Party.
He served as foreign minister before becoming prime minister in 2014, taking over the government after Erdogan moved from the premiership to the presidency.
After stepping down as prime minister in 2016, Davutoglu left the AK Party in 2019 after publicly criticizing the party’s direction and subsequently founded the Future Party.
The party later joined opposition efforts ahead of the 2023 elections, working with several other parties in an alliance against Erdogan and his political bloc.
Davutoglu subsequently continued to criticize the government while working with smaller opposition parties seeking to consolidate their political influence.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
3 min read
1 min read
