Former Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu resigned on Friday from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, following a call from his party to sack him in the country. Earlier this month.
Davutoglu told a news conference in the capital Ankara that it was "a historic responsibility" to create "a new political movement and to embark on a new path."
Davutoglu told reporters in the capital Ankara: "We resign from our party, which we have served with great effort for years."
He stood next to Davutoglu, former party members Selcuk Ozdag, Abdullah Bashji and Ayhan Safar Ustun, whom the party was also seeking to fire.
The party referred the four to a disciplinary committee on September 3 for final dismissal, Anatolia news agency reported.
He added that it is no longer possible to work in the current administration of the party, which describes any criticism within it as a "betrayal."
The former prime minister that the Justice and Development Party deviated from "founding values", pointing to the "clique" believes it now controls the party.
Davutoglu´s resignation is a blow to justice and development, with the media already predicting divisions after the party setback in local elections in March.
Other heavyweights, including former Economy Minister Ali Babacan and former President Abdullah Gul, are reportedly preparing to launch a new party.
Babacan resigned from the party in July, citing a difference between its values ​​and that of the party and the need for a "new vision."
Davutoglu cited the AKP´s loss of votes in March as one reason for the party´s "pessimism and despair".
Davutoglu made sharp criticism in April after the AKP lost its economic strongholds and important urban areas, including Istanbul and the capital Ankara.
In reviewing his plans, Davutoglu pledged to fight corruption and poverty, and the former prime minister also cited a long list of commitments from his new movement, from upholding the rule of law and democracy to creating a strong economy with fair sharing of wealth.
Davutoglu served as Prime Minister from 2014 to May 2016.
The end of his term was first announced by Erdogan´s office when Davutoglu called for an extraordinary party convention.
It was only six months after Davutoglu´s leadership of justice and development until the party won a landslide victory in the general elections. In 2017, the party pushed for a constitutional referendum and won it to become the executive presidency.
Davutoglu has since been banned from any major role within the party.
Erdogan became head of state and government, with the post of prime minister abolished after the June 2018 elections.
