Turkey’s justice minister announced on Monday the launch of an investigation into Ali Mahir Başarır, deputy parliamentary group chair of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), on accusations of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkish Minute reported.
Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç said on X that the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office had initiated the probe over Başarır’s recent remarks about Erdoğan, which he described as “ugly and inappropriate expressions” that “exceeded the limits of free speech.”
“The group deputy chair’s words are a direct attack on personal rights,” Tunç said, adding that “no one can legitimize a language of hate, insult or slander.”
Remarks at party congress
Başarır made the remarks about Erdoğan at a recent CHP provincial congress in the western province of Bursa during which he sharply criticized Erdoğan and his government over an ongoing crackdown on his party that has led to the arrest of more than 10 mayors and hundreds of CHP politicians.
“Whether we’re detained, prosecuted, gassed, beaten or threatened, even if he [Erdoğan] loses his temper or explodes with rage, the next president of the Republic of Turkey will come from Silivri,” Başarır said, referring to İstanbul’s jailed mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, and the high-security prison often associated with political prisoners.
İmamoğlu, seen as the most powerful political rival of Erdoğan, has been nominated as candidate for the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in the next election scheduled for 2028. He was arrested in March and put in Marmara Prison near Silivri on corruption charges, seen widely as politically motivated.
“We will win together. We will build a new system and a new order. This political struggle is between the honest and the dishonest,” Başarır added.
His comments quickly drew backlash from government supporters.
About six hours before the justice minister announced the investigation, Şamil Tayyar, a former lawmaker from Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), targeted Başarır in a post on X, calling him a “degenerate” and urging prosecutors to act.
“This person’s insults against our president are constant. He attacks everyone like a man running amok. The real fault lies with the AKP for not lifting his parliamentary immunity. If you don’t open the path to prosecution, he will keep using that immunity as a shield.”
The investigation and prosecution of members of parliament has been possible since the CHP and the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), an ally of Erdoğan, lent support to a 2016 proposal submitted by the AKP on removing deputies’ immunity from prosecution. The immunity of all deputies who faced prosecution was lifted in May 2016.
Erdoğan lawyer Hüseyin Aydın also announced on Tuesday that his client had filed a lawsuit against Başarır in Ankara Civil Court for “baseless and defamatory remarks targeting the president,” seeking 250,000 lira ($6,000) in non-pecuniary damages. Aydın also confirmed that a separate criminal complaint against Başarır had been submitted to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Thousands of people in Turkey have been investigated, prosecuted or convicted for allegedly insulting the president under Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Code, a law frequently condemned by rights groups and European institutions as incompatible with free expression.
The offense carries a sentence of up to four years in prison, which can be increased if the alleged insult is made publicly or through the media.
Since Erdoğan assumed the presidency in 2014, Turkish courts have seen a surge in cases under Article 299. Critics say the law is used to stifle dissent and silence opposition figures, while the government defends it as necessary to protect the dignity of the presidency.
Organizations such as the Council of Europe and Human Rights Watch have repeatedly called on Turkey to repeal or amend the article, citing its chilling effect on political speech.
