Former Turkish PM Davutoglu quits politics

Former Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu has announced his decision to step

ISTANBUL: Former Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu has announced his decision to step away from politics and dissolve his Future Party, ending a decades-long political career that saw him rise as one of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s closest allies before becoming a vocal critic.

Davutoglu announced the decision this week, saying he wanted to distance himself from what he described as a “dirty political climate” in Turkiye. He said the move was not a surrender but a step taken on moral grounds and a call for a broader rethink of politics.

The former premier criticized issues including corruption, favouritism and weak accountability, saying these challenges had damaged public trust. He also raised concerns over the country’s presidential system introduced in 2018, arguing that it weakened checks and balances.

Davutoglu began his career as an academic before entering politics. Born in Konya in 1959, he studied political science and international relations at Bosphorus University and later earned a doctorate in the same field.

Before joining government, he worked as a professor and wrote several books on foreign policy. His academic reputation helped him become a key figure in shaping Turkiye’s international strategy.

After the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in 2002, Davutoglu joined the party and became a close adviser to Erdogan. He played an influential role in developing the “zero problems with neighbours” foreign policy approach, which aimed to improve relations with regional countries.

He served as Turkiye’s foreign minister from 2009 to 2014 and became prime minister after Erdogan moved to the presidency in 2014.

However, relations between the two leaders gradually weakened due to differences over governance, foreign policy and the distribution of political power. In 2016, Davutoglu resigned as prime minister and was replaced by Binali Yildirim.

Three years later, Davutoglu left the AKP and launched the Future Party, presenting it as a conservative alternative focused on democracy and reforms. However, the party struggled to gain major public support and received a small share of votes in the 2024 elections.