Turkish prime minister to quit amid rift with Erdogan

Turkey

Turkish Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, said on Thursday he will stand down at an extraordinary congress of the ruling AK Party later this month.

Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu confirms he will step down at AK Party Congress on 22 May https://t.co/w1nEUFPQYJ pic.twitter.com/LPRTD11gPf

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In a speech in Ankara defending his record as prime minister, Davutoglu said he had kept the AKP and the government intact during a tumultuous period in Turkey. He said no-one should worry because “strong” AKP government would continue.

Senior party officials told Reuters on Wednesday that the AKP was set to replace Davutoglu as its leader.

Davutoglu is believed to have fallen from favour after disapproving plans by Erdogan to move Turkey to a presidential system of government.

While he has proven effective at negotiating migrant deal with the European Union, Davutoglu has failed to achieve the same success with Erdogan and his supporters.

Turkey is facing mounting security challenges as a result of the Syrian civil war and ongoing violence in the largely Kurdish south east.