Ahmet Davutoglu, a former prime minister of Turkiye, has announced his departure from politics and the dissolution of his party this week, citing the "dirty political climate" in the country.

In a statement posted on his X account, Davutoglu wrote: "This is not a decision of surrender. It is a decision to distance ourselves morally. This is not giving up on politics; it is a call for everyone to rethink politics."

He criticized corruption, favoritism, and lack of accountability, saying they are eroding moral values. He also condemned the normalization of party switching and the appointment of government trustees (kayyum) in place of elected officials as a blow to democratic ethics.

Davutoglu warned that the introduction of the presidential system in 2018 paved the way for authoritarianism and eliminated checks and balances.

Born in 1959 in Konya, Davutoglu studied political science and economics at Bogazici University. He was a respected academic and founded the Political Science Department at the International Islamic University of Malaysia.

After joining the AKP in 2002, he became a key adviser to Erdogan and played a major role in shaping Turkiye's "zero problems with neighbors" foreign policy. He served as foreign minister from 2009 to 2014 and then as prime minister.

However, disagreements with Erdogan over EU negotiations and governance led to his removal in 2016. In 2019, he left the AKP and founded the Future Party, which won only 0.11% of the vote in the 2024 elections.

Source: www.aljazeera.com