Hüseyin Çelik reacts to Davutoğlu investigation: Political criticism should not be equated with insult

Former Minister of National Education Hüseyin Çelik has reacted to the launch of an investigation into former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu on charges of "insulting the President" due to his past political assessments.

In a statement on his social media account, Çelik noted that a politician who has served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Prime Minister should be able to harshly criticize the government's actions, the use of public resources, its approach to merit, or its political preferences, and that such criticism should primarily be evaluated within the realm of politics.

Emphasizing that criticism is natural in democratic politics, Çelik stated that while freedom of expression is not unlimited, the legal system must carefully observe the distinction between political criticism and insult.

“It is also a fundamental tenet of a democratic state governed by the rule of law that the boundaries of criticism directed at politicians who exercise public power are broader. A politician's words are answered with politics; if the claims are false, they are refuted with documents; if they are unfair, they are countered within the political arena.”

Stating that making political remarks made years ago the subject of a criminal investigation today would raise “justified concerns” regarding the impartiality of the judiciary and freedom of expression, Çelik noted that what Turkey needs is not an atmosphere where politicians have to think about the prosecutor's office while speaking.

Çelik stated that while Davutoğlu's remarks might be found politically harsh or controversial, this should be evaluated separately from defending the right to political criticism, and he emphasized a state governed by the rule of law where debates are conducted within politics and the judiciary stands at an equal distance to all parties.