Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan (left) with outgoing Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
(Hurriyet)—Outgoing Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu began his political career as a diplomatic adviser 14 years ago. He rose to the Foreign Ministry and ultimately to the Prime Ministry with the Justice and Development Party (AKP) before choosing to quit the latter post on May 5.
What determined his fate most was his up-and-down relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Below is a list of 20 of Davutoğlu’s confrontations with Erdoğan during his 20-month odyssey as prime minister:
1. Supreme Court
Davutoğlu took a stand on former ministers Zafer Çağlayan, Muammer Güler, Egemen Bağış and Erdoğan Bayraktar, advising them to go to the Supreme Court and be acquitted after the Dec. 17-25, 2013, graft probe process, a stance that Erdoğan did not approve of.
2. National Intelligence Organization (MÄ°T) head Hakan Fidan
The resignation of MÄ°T head Hakan Fidan to run in the June 7, 2015, elections for the AKP was approved by DavutoÄŸlu. ErdoÄŸan, however, said Fidan should have stayed, and the spy chief was later forced to return to his post.
3. Candidate list
The formation process of the candidate lists during the June 7 and Nov. 1, 2015, elections was troubled, as Erdoğan’s wishes ultimately overrode those of all others.
4. Central Decision and Executive Board (MKYK)
A crisis over candidate lists erupted when Binali Yıldırım, a close confidant of Erdoğan, received enough delegate support to be elected before a Sept. 12, 2015, party congress amid rumors that Erdoğan had used the Yıldırım card as leverage against Davutoğlu.
5. Coalition
DavutoÄŸlu was open to a coalition following the June 7, 2015, general elections but ErdoÄŸan opted for an election. The country went to the polls five months later.
6. Cabinet
Two figures, Binali Yıldırım and Berat Albayrak – the latter Erdoğan’s son-in-law – entered the new cabinet in spite of Davutoğlu’s wishes.
7. Close relationships with Arınç and other figures
Former Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç’s closeness to DavutoÄŸlu led to claims of a “power struggleâ€
