Ahmet Davutoğlu quits politics, dissolves Future Party

Former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu announced he had dissolved the Future Party and was withdrawing from active politics, citing a 'dirty political climate' and corruption allegations.

Former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu announced on Wednesday that he had dissolved the Future Party and was withdrawing from active politics.

In a Turkish-language statement posted on his X account, Davutoğlu justified the decision with the 'dirty political climate.' 'This is not a decision of surrender, but a moral decision to distance ourselves. It is not giving up on politics, but an invitation for everyone to rethink politics,' he said.

Davutoğlu said corruption, favoritism and lack of accountability had eroded moral values, adding: 'The decline in the perception of corruption has now reached an undeniable point.'

Davutoğlu argued that the normalization of politicians switching parties and the practice of appointing trustees to replace elected officials dealt a major blow to democratic ethics. He also warned that the presidential government system introduced in 2018 had led to authoritarianism and eliminated checks and balances.

Ahmet Davutoğlu's political career

Academic background

Born in Konya in 1959, Davutoğlu studied political science and economics at Boğaziçi University, graduating in 1983. He earned his PhD in Political Science and International Relations at the same university.

In 1990, Davutoğlu served as an assistant professor at the International Islamic University Malaysia, where he founded and chaired the Political Science Department. Between 1995 and 1999, he worked as a lecturer at Marmara University's Institute of Middle Eastern Studies. From 1998 to 2002, he gave lectures as a visiting lecturer at the Turkish Military Academy and the War Academies.

From 1999 to 2004, he served as a professor and head of the International Relations Department at Beykent University, sitting on the university senate and board of directors. During the same period, he continued to lecture as a visiting professor at Marmara University. He published numerous foreign policy books in English and Turkish.

Joining the AK Party and foreign policy vision

After the AK Party came to power following the November 2002 elections, Davutoğlu joined the party and became the prime minister's chief adviser. A key adviser in Erdoğan's rise, Davutoğlu played a significant role in shaping Turkey's foreign policy during the AK Party era.

One of the architects of the 'zero problems with neighbors' doctrine adopted in the 2000s, Davutoğlu sought to strengthen trade with neighbors in the Middle East and the Balkans and reduce conflicts.

After the 2011 Syrian uprising, he was influential in shaping the policy of supporting the opposition against Bashar al-Assad's regime, calling it a moral imperative. He was criticized by some for allegedly seeking to expand Turkey's regional influence through the Syrian war.

Foreign ministry and premiership years

Davutoğlu served as foreign minister from 2009 to 2014. After Erdoğan was elected president in 2014, he became prime minister.

However, differences emerged between the two leaders on issues such as negotiations with the European Union and governance style. In August 2015, Davutoğlu formally informed Erdoğan that he could not form a coalition government with opposition parties.

After the AK Party lost its parliamentary majority in the June 2015 elections, Davutoğlu held coalition talks with the second-placed CHP and third-placed MHP, but no agreement was reached.

In 2016, political differences between Davutoğlu and Erdoğan led to a new rupture, and Davutoğlu was replaced as prime minister by Binali Yıldırım. At the time, AK Party deputy parliamentary group chair Nurettin Canikli told Al Jazeera that the constitution did not clearly delineate the powers of the prime minister and president, and that although both figures came from the same political background, they could hold different views and failed to find a middle ground when they tried to exercise authority simultaneously.

Founding of the Future Party

In September 2019, Davutoğlu announced his resignation from the AK Party and his intention to found a new party. 'Launching a new political movement is our historic responsibility and duty to the nation,' he said.

The AK Party had referred Davutoğlu to its disciplinary board with a request for permanent expulsion. In the months before his resignation, Davutoğlu had accused the AK Party of deviating from its core principles and criticized the government's economic performance and Erdoğan.

Davutoğlu founded the Future Party at an event in Ankara in December 2019, presenting it as a conservative but pro-democracy alternative. However, the party failed to make a significant impact, receiving 0.11 percent of the vote in the 2024 elections.

Former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu announced on Wednesday that he had dissolved the Future Party and was withdrawing from active politics.

Davutoğlu said corruption, favoritism and lack of accountability had eroded moral values, adding: 'The decline in the perception of corruption has now reached an undeniable point.'