Turkey's prime minister to step down amid tensions with president

(Image credit: Carl Court/Getty Images)

published 5 May 2016

Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced he will step down later this month following widespread reports of tension with Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. President Erdogan has attempted to shift power away from the prime minister and to the president, a move that reportedly made Davutoglu uneasy. Davutoglu succeeded Erdogan as premier and leader of the Justice and Development Party in 2014, and will step down at the party's congress on May 22.

Davutoglu is viewed in by the West as a cooperative reformer who seeks to deepen Turkey's relationship with Europe, while Erdogan is viewed skeptically for his censorship of the press and crackdown on political dissent, The Wall Street Journal reports. Davutoglu's decision to step down could weaken relations between Ankara and Washington as the nations go forward in the fight against ISIS

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.