Shock in Ankara: Former Turkish Prime Minister Throws in the Towel and Retires from Politics

Former Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu announced his retirement from party politics and the dissolution of the Future Party he founded, claiming that the country's political system has reached a "great dead end."

Former Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu announced his retirement from party politics and the dissolution of the Future Party he founded. In a statement on social media, Davutoğlu explained his decision by saying the country's political system has reached a "great dead end." He wrote that he is retiring "so as not to be part of the polluted political climate." Davutoğlu insisted this is not a surrender but a "decision to maintain moral distance." From now on, he will dedicate his efforts to fields such as education, science, culture, economy, and international diplomacy. Davutoğlu was once considered one of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's closest allies and even the architect of his foreign policy. He served as Turkey's foreign minister from 2009 to 2014, and later as prime minister. In the 2023 elections, he joined the opposition alliance that sought to defeat the president. His decision to close the party and retire from politics ends an unusual trajectory: from being seen as Erdoğan's possible successor, he became a conservative rival who failed to build a meaningful alternative to his rule.