Turkey starts probe into British economist's comments on Erdogan

There was no mention to what the economist said, but Turkish media reported that he had used Erdogan's name in the same context as Israeli PM, Netanyahu.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab Staff & Agencies

27 August, 2026

Erdogan is attempting to tackle declining birth rates and relatively high rates of divorce in Turkey

A British economist reportedly insulted Erdogan during a finance meeting at a holiday resort [Getty].

Turkish prosecutors have launched an investigation into British economist Timothy Ash for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in comments during a finance meeting at a holiday resort, local media reported Thursday.

The chief public prosecutor's office in Istanbul's Bakirkoy district has started a probe against emerging markets economist Ash, the private DHA news agency reported.

He is being investigated "on charges of insulting the president due to his remarks he made at a meeting".

There was no mention of what the economist said, but Turkish media reported that he had used Erdogan's name in the same context as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

A video from the meeting shows Ash mention Netanyahu and Erdogan in remarks about "sociopathic leaders" before immediately backtracking, saying: "Oops I didn't say that. Take that back. Stop video."

Contacted by AFP, Ash said he was not aware of the investigation.

Of the meeting itself, he said: "It was Chatham House rules, and it was a slip of the tongue which I retracted immediately. See the video."

The principle of the Chatham House rule is that those who take part in such meetings are free to use the information received, but should not reveal the identity or the affiliation of the speaker.

'Slip of the tongue'

Posting to X later, the economist said that it had been a "genuine slip of the tongue" and that "absolutely no offence" had been intended.

"Erdogan has stood up valiantly for Gaza & Palestinians, as has Turkiye. No comparison to Netanyahu. Period," he added in the post.

Turkish authorities have broadened a crackdown on anyone seen as critical of Erdogan's government or its values in recent years.

In recent years, tens of thousands of people -- from musicians and artists, to journalists and politicians -- have faced legal investigations for insulting the president.

In July, an Istanbul court put popular Turkish comedian Deniz Goktas, 32, in pre-trial detention on charges of insulting Erdogan.