Ahmet Davutoglu probed over Erdogan insult claim

Turkish prosecutors said Thursday they were investigating former prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu over comments on social media that were viewed as insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Insulting the president is a criminal offence in Turkey. Davutoglu, 67, was once an ally of Erdogan but later became a political rival.

Davutoglu served as Turkey's foreign minister from 2009 to 2014 and as prime minister from 2014 to 2016. After leaving Erdogan's government, he founded Gelecek Partisi, or the Future Party, in 2019. The party performed poorly in the 2024 local elections and was dissolved at an emergency congress in August.

Turkish authorities have opened legal investigations in recent years against many people accused of insulting the president, including artists, journalists and politicians.