Turkey: New AK Party leader to replace Davutoglu as PM

ANKARA (AA) – The newly elected chairman of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party is set to replace Ahmet Davutoglu as prime minister, following a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the capital Ankara at 6.00 p.m. local time Sunday (1500GMT).

According to presidential sources, Davutoglu will submit his resignation at the meeting. Erdogan will then receive Binali Yildirim who has been elected chairman of the AK Party on Sunday.

The president will give Yildirim the task of forming the country’s 65th government. The current government will be in office until the new one is formed.

Minister of Transport, Maritime Affairs, and Communications Binali Yildirim, 60, who was the sole candidate to run for the party’s third chairmanship of its history, garnered 1,405 out of 1,411 votes in the election held at the at the Arena Sports Hall Sunday in Ankara.

Out of 1,411 votes, six were declared invalid.

On May 5, Davutoglu announced that he would not stand again for the AK Party chairmanship.

Davutoglu, who had served as foreign minister since 2009, was elected chairman of the party after then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan ran for president in August 2014.

Davutoglu became the second chairman of AK Party after 13 years with Erdogan as the leader.

Yildirim, a co-founder of the party in August 2001, has served as transport minister (with other portfolios, including maritime) in five Turkish governments under prime ministers Abdullah Gul, Erdogan and Davutoglu.