The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, 67, for allegedly insulting the president in a video recorded five years ago but circulated recently on social media.
The probe is being conducted under Article 299/1 of the Turkish Penal Code, which carries a sentence of one to four years in prison for insulting the head of state, according to the statement by the prosecutor’s office.
Davutoğlu will testify before prosecutors on Sept. 7. Lacking parliamentary immunity after recently stepping away from politics, the former AKP member served as foreign minister from 2009 to 2014 and prime minister from 2014 until his resignation in May 2016. He later founded the Gelecek Party in 2019, which joined the six-party opposition alliance in 2023 before dissolving on Aug. 22, following Davutoğlu’s retirement from politics on July 29.
His lawyer, Hasan Seymen, stated that the investigation stems from an event in September 2021 in Bingöl province, where Davutoğlu responded to a provocateur.
“Davutoğlu views answering every allegation and contributing to every legal process as a matter of principle,” Seymen said.
WHAT’S IN THE VIDEO?
In the circulated video clip, Davutoğlu responds heatedly to questions regarding why he did not object to certain government decisions during his time as prime minister.
“If I had not objected, I would not have lost the prime ministry,” Davutoğlu said in the video. “If I had remained silent, I would have multiplied my billions like the prime ministers and ministers after me.”
Davutoğlu added that he never engaged in corruption while criticizing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other AKP officials, without naming them, for surrounding themselves with wealth.
“They enriched their inner circle, made their son-in-law a minister, and handed the country over to five contractors,” Davutoğlu said. “If they had not violated the nation’s rights, I would have respected theirs. But they violated the law, and I spoke truth and justice to them.”
‘POSSIBLE CONSPIRACY AIMED AT NORMALIZING WITH ERDOĞAN’
Former Gelecek Party lawmaker Kani Torun, who is expected to join the DEM Party, described the probe as a 'telling development' that could stem from internal sabotage.
“This situation strengthens the possibility of an internal conspiracy aimed at sabotaging the positive atmosphere formed in favor of Mr. Davutoğlu after the Gelecek Party was dissolved, as well as the potential for normalizing relations with the President,” Torun stated. “Hopefully, common sense will prevail and such attempts will be thwarted.”
