Turkish former Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmet Davutoglu has given his testimony before the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office as part of an investigation against him on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, marking a precedent in Türkiye's history.
In a brief statement following his roughly one-hour testimony, Davutoglu said: "This is an unprecedented event in the history of the Republic of Türkiye; for the first time in the Republic's history, a prime minister is summoned to the prosecutor's office as a suspect merely for expressing his opinion and making criticism."
Davutoglu expressed his gratitude to the party leaders who came to support him during his testimony. Those who arrived at the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office to show their solidarity included Ali Babacan, the former Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, who currently serves as the leader of the Democracy and Progress Party; Mehmet Emin Ekmen, the deputy leader of the party; and Mahmut Arikan, the leader of the Felicity Party.
Davutoglu refused to answer any questions from journalists "to protect Türkiye’s image”.
"I respect the judiciary; therefore, I provided the testimony required of me," he added.
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation last Thursday against Davutoglu on charges of insulting Erdogan. The investigation stems from a video published on social media platforms dating back to 2021, which showed Davutoglu speaking with a group of citizens in a village near the city of Bingol in eastern Türkiye.
Davutoglu criticized Erdogan without mentioning him by name, saying: "Unlike the ministers who came after me, I did not earn a single penny illegally. I told them not to reach out their hands and not to make illicit gains, but they did. They amassed billions upon billions, plundered illicit gains, and enriched their entourage and those around them."
"He (Erdogan) appointed his son-in-law (Berat Albayrak, the former Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and Minister of Treasury and Finance) as a minister, enriched his relatives, and handed Türkiye over to five contractors," he alleged.
The Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office stated in a response that the prosecution initiated an immediate, automatic investigation against Davutoglu under the Turkish Penal Code, due to statements deemed offensive to the President of the Republic that were circulated on social media platforms.
If convicted, he faces between one and four years in jail.
Davutoglu, a prominent political science academic who was nicknamed "The Professor" within the circles of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), served as an advisor to former President Abdullah Gul, and later to Erdogan during his premiership, before becoming Minister of Foreign Affairs.
He assumed the party’s leadership, succeeding Erdogan after the latter was elected president in 2014. In 2016, he announced his resignation from the party leadership due to disagreements with Erdogan over his approach to managing both the party and the country.
In 2019, he resigned from the party after differences with Erdogan deepened. He subsequently founded the Future Party.
On July 30, Davutoglu unexpectedly announced his decision to dissolve the party and withdraw from political activity. Citing the "corruption of the political climate in Türkiye," he noted that "the decision is not a surrender or an abandonment of politics, but rather came to establish an ethical distance from politics."
