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| Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoğlu resigns | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The Turkish prime minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu, has announced his resignation in a dramatic turn of events that will boost the power of the country’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. | |
| Divisions between Davutoğlu and Erdoğan, rumoured for months, erupted into the open on Wednesday, with the two leaders holding crisis talks at the presidential palace. | Divisions between Davutoğlu and Erdoğan, rumoured for months, erupted into the open on Wednesday, with the two leaders holding crisis talks at the presidential palace. |
| On Thursday Davutoğlu said he would step down after an extraordinary party meeting to be held on 22 May. | |
| Speaking at the ruling Justice and Development (AK) party’s headquarters in Ankara, Davutoğlu listed his accomplishments while in office, underlining that he steered the country through turmoil and terrorist attacks with “an iron will”. He added that he would continue his work for the AK party as an MP and that there should not be any doubts over the stability of the government. | |
| “A strong AKP government will continue to lead for the next four years, and there should not be any doubts concerning safety and stability,” Davutoğlu said. | |
| He said that his decision to resign was not a “choice, but a necessity” that was made after consultations with the president. He added that one reason for stepping down was a decision by the party’s executive to take away his authority to appoint provincial party leaders. | |
| Despite clear tensions between himself and Erdoğan, he refrained from criticising the president in his speech. | |
| “Erdoğan’s honour is my honour,” he said. “I will not accept any speculation concerning my relationship with president Erdoğan. We have always stood shoulder to shoulder.” | |
| Davutoğlu became prime minister in August 2014 when Erdoğan moved from the premiership to the presidency. He was expected to play a backseat role as Erdoğan pushed ahead with plans to make the largely ceremonial role into an all-powerful executive position, yet Davutoğlu tried to act independently on a range of issues and had at best offered half-hearted support to plans for a stronger presidency. | Davutoğlu became prime minister in August 2014 when Erdoğan moved from the premiership to the presidency. He was expected to play a backseat role as Erdoğan pushed ahead with plans to make the largely ceremonial role into an all-powerful executive position, yet Davutoğlu tried to act independently on a range of issues and had at best offered half-hearted support to plans for a stronger presidency. |
| The two also differed over the pre-trial imprisonment of academics and journalists, which Davutoğlu opposed, and over the possibility of the resumption of a peace process with the Kurdish rebels, which Erdoğan ruled out. | The two also differed over the pre-trial imprisonment of academics and journalists, which Davutoğlu opposed, and over the possibility of the resumption of a peace process with the Kurdish rebels, which Erdoğan ruled out. |
| Davutoğlu also championed a deal with the EU to stem the flow of refugees across the Aegean Sea – an issue in which the president has shown little interest. | Davutoğlu also championed a deal with the EU to stem the flow of refugees across the Aegean Sea – an issue in which the president has shown little interest. |
| Related: European commission faces challenge to grant visa-free travel to Turks | Related: European commission faces challenge to grant visa-free travel to Turks |
| Relations between Erdoğan and Davutoğlu had been seen by analysts as uneasy, but the speed with which it burst into the open took many by surprise. | Relations between Erdoğan and Davutoğlu had been seen by analysts as uneasy, but the speed with which it burst into the open took many by surprise. |
| A big hint that Davutoğlu’s days were numbered came late on Sunday when a posting on the anonymous Turkish blog Pelican Brief believed to have been authored by people close to Erdoğan, aired the presidential camp’s alleged grievances with Davutoğlu, including not advocating for the presidential system favoured by Erdoğan strongly enough. | |
| The tumult at the top of Turkish politics unnerved financial markets, with the lira extending Wednesday’s losses to lose 1.09% in value against the US dollar. | The tumult at the top of Turkish politics unnerved financial markets, with the lira extending Wednesday’s losses to lose 1.09% in value against the US dollar. |
| Since becoming president in August 2014 after over a decade as prime minister, Erdoğan has sought to tighten his grip on the levers of power, leading critics to accuse him of authoritarianism. | Since becoming president in August 2014 after over 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 potentially more pliant prime minister would allow Erdoğan to further consolidate his powers as he seeks to win backing for controversial constitutional changes to give Turkey a stronger presidency. | The appointment of a potentially more pliant prime minister would allow Erdoğan to further consolidate his powers as he seeks to win backing for controversial constitutional changes to give Turkey a stronger presidency. |
| Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at The Washington Institute, said Davutoğlu’s departure would be the next stage in a “hollowing out” of Turkish institutions by Erdoğan, who already controls the army and parliament. | Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at The Washington Institute, said Davutoğlu’s departure would be the next stage in a “hollowing out” of Turkish institutions by Erdoğan, who already controls the army and parliament. |
| Related: Turkish journalists accuse Erdoğan of media witch-hunt | Related: Turkish journalists accuse Erdoğan of media witch-hunt |
| “It shows how much power has been massed in one person’s hands,” he said, adding that Erdoğan was now exercising more control than anyone in Turkey’s modern democratic history. | “It shows how much power has been massed in one person’s hands,” he said, adding that Erdoğan was now exercising more control than anyone in Turkey’s modern democratic history. |
| The departure of Davutoğlu “will allow Erdoğan to distance himself from some of his failed policies that can be attributed to Davutoğu,” he added. | The departure of Davutoğlu “will allow Erdoğan to distance himself from some of his failed policies that can be attributed to Davutoğu,” he added. |
| Leading potential successors if Davutoğlu steps aside include the president’s longtime ally, transport minister Binali Yildirim, and the youthful energy minister Berat Albayrak, 38, who is married to the president’s eldest daughter Esra. | Leading potential successors if Davutoğlu steps aside include the president’s longtime ally, transport minister Binali Yildirim, and the youthful energy minister Berat Albayrak, 38, who is married to the president’s eldest daughter Esra. |
| But press reports also suggested a less high-profile figure was possible, such as deputy prime minister Yalçin Akdoğan, justice minister Bekir Bozdağ, or AKP deputy chair Mehmet Ali Şahin. | But press reports also suggested a less high-profile figure was possible, such as deputy prime minister Yalçin Akdoğan, justice minister Bekir Bozdağ, or AKP deputy chair Mehmet Ali Şahin. |
| “Whoever the new PM will be, it is clear that it will mean more power over the government by the president,” said Ozgur Altug, chief economist at BGC partners in Istanbul. | “Whoever the new PM will be, it is clear that it will mean more power over the government by the president,” said Ozgur Altug, chief economist at BGC partners in Istanbul. |
| Associated Press and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report |