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| Ahmet Davutoğlu's future as Turkish prime minister in balance | Ahmet Davutoğlu's future as Turkish prime minister in balance |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The future of Turkey’s prime minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu, was hanging in the balance on Wednesday as the ruling justice and development party (AKP) prepared to hold an extraordinary congress that could signal his exit. | The future of Turkey’s prime minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu, was hanging in the balance on Wednesday as the ruling justice and development party (AKP) prepared to hold an extraordinary congress that could signal his exit. |
| Related: European commission faces challenge to grant visa-free travel to Turks | Related: European commission faces challenge to grant visa-free travel to Turks |
| Davutoğlu, who is also party chief, had earlier held a meeting that lasted more than an hour and half with Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, that media described as critical for the prime minister’s future, amid reports of a split between the two leaders in key policy areas. | Davutoğlu, who is also party chief, had earlier held a meeting that lasted more than an hour and half with Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, that media described as critical for the prime minister’s future, amid reports of a split between the two leaders in key policy areas. |
| Davutoğlu, a former foreign minister, has sought to defeat predictions that he would be a puppet when he became prime minister in August 2014 by carving out his own profile. | Davutoğlu, a former foreign minister, has sought to defeat predictions that he would be a puppet when he became prime minister in August 2014 by carving out his own profile. |
| No official statement was released after the meeting at Erdoğan’s presidential palace in Ankara. However CNN-Turk and NTV news channels reported that the congress is to be held later this month. Calling this meeting would allow the election of a new party leader. According to AKP convention the posts of party boss and head of government go to the same person. | No official statement was released after the meeting at Erdoğan’s presidential palace in Ankara. However CNN-Turk and NTV news channels reported that the congress is to be held later this month. Calling this meeting would allow the election of a new party leader. According to AKP convention the posts of party boss and head of government go to the same person. |
| Davutoğlu will hold a news conference on Thursday following a gathering of the party’s central executive committee beginning at 0800 GMT, the official Anatolia news agency said. The executive committee will take a formal decision whether to hold an extraordinary congress which would then decide on the new party leader, reports said. | Davutoğlu will hold a news conference on Thursday following a gathering of the party’s central executive committee beginning at 0800 GMT, the official Anatolia news agency said. The executive committee will take a formal decision whether to hold an extraordinary congress which would then decide on the new party leader, reports said. |
| Abdulkadir Selvi, who writes for the Hurriyet daily newspaper, told CNN-Turk that according to his information Davutoğlu would not be a candidate for the party leadership at the congress. If this is true it would mean that Turkey is heading for a change of prime minister at a time when Ankara is implementing a deal on refugees with the EU and battling Kurdish as well as Islamist militants. | Abdulkadir Selvi, who writes for the Hurriyet daily newspaper, told CNN-Turk that according to his information Davutoğlu would not be a candidate for the party leadership at the congress. If this is true it would mean that Turkey is heading for a change of prime minister at a time when Ankara is implementing a deal on refugees with the EU and battling Kurdish as well as Islamist militants. |
| The possibility of tumult at the top of Turkish politics unnerved financial markets, with the lira losing 3.7% in value against the dollar. | The possibility of tumult at the top of Turkish politics unnerved financial markets, with the lira losing 3.7% in value against the dollar. |
| Since becoming president in August 2014 after more than a decade as prime minister, Erdoğan has sought to tighten his grip on the levers of power, leading critics to accuse him of authoritarianism. The appointment of a more pliable prime minister would allow Erdoğan to further consolidate his powers. | Since becoming president in August 2014 after more than a decade as prime minister, Erdoğan has sought to tighten his grip on the levers of power, leading critics to accuse him of authoritarianism. The appointment of a more pliable prime minister would allow Erdoğan to further consolidate his powers. |
| Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish research programme at the Washington Institute, said the move was the next stage in a “hollowing out” of Turkish institutions by Erdoğan who already controls the army and parliament. “It shows how much power has been massed in one person’s hands,” he told AFP, adding that Erdoğan was now exercising more control than anyone in Turkey’s modern democratic history. | Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish research programme at the Washington Institute, said the move was the next stage in a “hollowing out” of Turkish institutions by Erdoğan who already controls the army and parliament. “It shows how much power has been massed in one person’s hands,” he told AFP, adding that Erdoğan was now exercising more control than anyone in Turkey’s modern democratic history. |
| The departure of Davutoğlu would “allow Erdoğan to distance himself from some of his failed policies that can be attributed to Davutoğlu,” he added. | The departure of Davutoğlu would “allow Erdoğan to distance himself from some of his failed policies that can be attributed to Davutoğlu,” he added. |
| Tension had reportedly been building between the men for months, even if the speed with which it burst into the open took many by surprise. Davutoğlu has championed a deal with the EU to stem the flow of refugees while the president has shown little interest in the accord. | Tension had reportedly been building between the men for months, even if the speed with which it burst into the open took many by surprise. Davutoğlu has championed a deal with the EU to stem the flow of refugees while the president has shown little interest in the accord. |
| By coincidence the EU commission announced on Wednesday that it was recommending giving Turks visa-free travel as part of the deal. | |
| Davutoğlu has said there is no need for haste in Erdoğan’s drive to create a presidential system in Turkey, a pet project of the president that risks diminishing Davutoğlu’s own standing. He has also clashed with Erdoğan over whether journalists should be held in pre-trial detention. A decision last week by the executive committee of the AKP to remove Davutoğlu’s right to appoint regional party officials was also seen by commentators as a severe blow to the authority of the prime minister. | Davutoğlu has said there is no need for haste in Erdoğan’s drive to create a presidential system in Turkey, a pet project of the president that risks diminishing Davutoğlu’s own standing. He has also clashed with Erdoğan over whether journalists should be held in pre-trial detention. A decision last week by the executive committee of the AKP to remove Davutoğlu’s right to appoint regional party officials was also seen by commentators as a severe blow to the authority of the prime minister. |
| Potential prime ministerial successors if Davutoğlu steps aside include the transport minister and ally of Erdoğan, Binali Yıldırım, and the youthful energy minister, Berat Albayrak, 38, who is married to the president’s eldest daughter, Esra. |