Turkey's Ruling Party to Determine Davutoglu's Successor

Members of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) stated on Wednesday, May 4, that the successor to Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will be determined at the party's upcoming extraordinary meeting. According to Reuters, reports of disagreements between Ahmet Davutoglu and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have surfaced in recent weeks, although the two met for an hour and a half on Wednesday. Erdogan is reportedly seeking to change Turkey's parliamentary system to a presidential one, a plan that Davutoglu opposes. If Davutoglu resigns, it would pave the way for Erdogan to realize this goal. An AKP member told Reuters that the president and prime minister have agreed on the formation of the upcoming congress, and it is unlikely that Davutoglu will run for party leadership again. The leader of the AKP also serves as the prime minister, so if another individual is elected as the party leader, they will effectively succeed Davutoglu. The public emergence of leadership disputes within Turkey's ruling party comes at a time when the country faces various challenges, including intensified armed conflict between government forces and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), as well as the repercussions of the wars in Iraq and Syria, with the European Union currently cooperating with Ankara to manage the influx of refugees. The public revelation of these disputes and the potential resignation of Davutoglu have led to a decrease in the value of the Turkish lira against foreign currencies. Wolfgang Piccoli, an expert on Turkey, told Reuters that Erdogan's desire for a presidential system and Davutoglu's resignation are further signs of Erdogan's growing dominance over the party. An AKP member indicated that the party congress is likely to be held by May 21, and certainly no later than June 6, which is the first day of Ramadan. Close associates of Erdogan have mentioned potential candidates for the AKP leadership, including Numan Kurtulmus, the government spokesperson, Bekir Bozdag, the Minister of Justice, and Binali Yildirim, the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure.