Timothy Ash faces Turkey probe over Erdogan comments

Turkish prosecutors have launched an investigation into British economist Timothy Ash over alleged insult of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, local media reported Thursday.

The private DHA news agency reported that the chief public prosecutor's office in Istanbul's Bakirkoy district had opened a probe into Ash, an emerging markets economist, over remarks he made at a finance meeting at a holiday resort.

DHA reported that he was being investigated on charges of insulting the president. It did not say exactly what Ash was accused of saying.

Turkish media reported that Ash had used Erdogan's name in the same context as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A video from the meeting shows Ash mentioning Netanyahu and Erdogan in remarks about “sociopathic leaders” before immediately saying he took it back and asking for filming to stop.

Ash said he was not aware of the investigation. He said the meeting was under Chatham House rules and that the remark was a slip of the tongue that he retracted immediately.

In a later post on X, Ash said it had been a “genuine slip of the tongue” and that “absolutely no offence” had been intended. He added that Erdogan had stood up for Gaza and Palestinians and said there was no comparison to Netanyahu.

Turkish authorities have broadened a crackdown in recent years on people viewed as critical of Erdogan's government or its values. Tens of thousands of people, including musicians, artists, journalists and politicians, have faced legal investigations for insulting the president.