Ankara: Former Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu gave his testimony before the Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office on Monday as part of an investigation against him for allegedly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a first in Turkish history.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, in a brief statement following his testimony, Davutoglu said: “This is unprecedented in the history of the Turkish Republic; for the first time in Turkey’s history, a prime minister has been summoned to the prosecutor’s office as a suspect simply for expressing his opinion and making criticisms.”

Davutoglu expressed his gratitude to the party leaders who attended to support him during his testimony. Among those present were former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Foreign Affairs, Ali Babacan, leader of the Democracy and Progress Party; Deputy Party Chairman Mehmet Emin Akmen; and Felicity Party leader Mahmut Arikan.

Davutoglu declined to answer any questions from journalists, citing the need to “preserve Turkey’s dignity,” and stating: “I respect the judiciary; therefore, I gave the required testimony.”

The Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation last Thursday against Ahmet Davutoglu for allegedly insulting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The investigation stems from a video circulating on social media from 2021, showing Davutoglu speaking with a group of citizens in a caf© in a village near Bing¶l, in eastern Turkey.

In the video, Davutoglu criticizes Erdogan, without naming him, saying: “Unlike the ministers who came after me, I haven’t earned a single penny illegally. I told them not to lay their hands on anything, not to acquire illicit gains, but they did. They amassed billions upon billions, plundered illicit wealth, and enriched their cronies and those around them.”

The Public Prosecutor’s Office stated that it initiated an immediate and automatic investigation under Article 299, Paragraph 1 of the Turkish Penal Code against Davutoglu for statements deemed insulting to the President of the Republic, which were circulated on social media.

The penalty for ‘insulting the president’ is imprisonment for one to four years. If the offense is committed publicly, the penalty is increased by one-sixth. Prosecution requires permission from the Minister of Justice.

Davutoglu, a prominent political scientist known as ‘the Professor’ within the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), served as an advisor to former President Abdullah Gl, then to Erdogan during his premiership, and later as Foreign Minister. He succeeded Erdogan as party leader after the latter’s election as president in 2014, as the parliamentary system at the time prohibited the president from belonging to any political party. However, in 2016, Davutoglu resigned from the party leadership due to disagreements with Erdogan over his management of the party and the country.

In 2019, Davutoglu resigned from the AKP after his disagreements with Erdogan deepened, and he founded the Future Party, which operated in parliament under the ‘New Path’ umbrella, which also included the Democracy and Progress Party and the Felicity Party.

On July 30th, Davutoglu unexpectedly announced his decision to dissolve the party and withdraw from political life, citing the corrupt political climate in Turkey.