Former Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu on Sunday publicly signaled the establishment of a new political party, the Cumhuriyet newspaper reported.
In a speech at a fast-breaking dinner in his hometown of Konya, the former prime minister called for a “new state of affairs,” which was widely interpreted as a confirmation of long circulating rumors that a new political party is in the making.
“Our country needs a new vision, a new conduct, a new stance and a new state of affairs. Unless we find it, we won’t be able to safeguard our core values and pass the legacy on to the new generations,” he said.
There have been rumors for a while that top former Justice and Development Party (AKP) figures are getting ready to found a new political party as they are uneasy with the policies of the AKP government and its leader, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Davutoğlu, who served in top positions of AKP governments until he was forced to step down as prime minister in 2016 and sidelined afterwards, have recently begun to openly oppose AKP policies.
He voiced concern about a controversial decision by Turkey’s election authority to cancel the results of a mayoral election in İstanbul, which was won by an opposition candidate.
He also criticized the AKP’s economic policies, media restrictions and the damage he said it had done to the separation of powers and to Turkey’s institutions.
Deutsche Welle reported in May that he was poised to announce the new party and had contacted former and current leading AKP figures for support.