Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoğlu resigns

Speaking at the ruling Justice and Development party’s (AKP) 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 AKP 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 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.

Davutoğlu became prime minister in August 2014 when Erdoğan moved from the premiership to the presidency.

Source: The Guardian