Daily Times

ANKARA – Turkey’s Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu Thursday announced his resignation in a dramatic turn of events that will boost the power of President RecepTayyip Erdo?an.

Divisions between Davuto?lu and Erdo?an, rumoured for months, erupted into the open on Wednesday, with the two leaders holding crisis talks at the presidential palace.

On Thursday,Davuto?lu said he would step down after an extraordinary party meeting to be held on 22 May, The Telegraph reported.

“A strong AKP government will continue to lead for the next four years and there should not be any doubts concerning safety and stability,” he 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.

Despite clear tensions between himself and Erdo?an, Davuto?lu, however, refrained from criticising the president in his speech. “Erdo?an’s honour is my honour,” he said.

“I will not accept any speculation concerning my relationship with President Erdo?an. We have always stood shoulder to shoulder.”

Davuto?lu became Turkey’s prime minister in August 2014 when Erdo?an moved from the premiership to the presidency. He was expected to play a backseat role as Erdo?an pushed ahead with plans to make the largely ceremonial role into an all-powerful executive position, yet Davuto?lu 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 differed over the pre-trial imprisonment of academics and journalists, which Davuto?lu opposed, and over the possibility of the resumption of a peace process with the Kurdish rebels, which Erdo?an ruled out.

Davuto?lu 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.