Former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, former AKP General Vice President Selçuk Özdağ, former AKP Istanbul MP Abdullah Basçı and former AKP Sakarya MP Ayhan Sefer Üstün held a press conference and announced their resignation from the party.

Speaking here, Davutoğlu argued that the dismissal decision made against them was an elimination within the AKP.

Davutoğlu said; “We are announcing resignation from our party, which we have worked for and dedicated our ideas and labor to for years to save the AKP’s loyal grassroots from the sadness of seeing their own general president dismissed.”

The former Prime Minister added; “September 2, 2019 when a proposal for our dismissal was submitted, is the date when the AKP abandoned its founding principles.”

Davutoğlu pointed out that; “The AKP which has gone under the control of a huge cadre, does not have any potential left to come up with a solution of the problems in our country. It is clear that the ways for internal accounting, common sense and consultations channels are closed, and there is no possibility of a transformation inside.”

In August, Davutoğlu pointed to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s role in a series of massacres and incidents that swept the country in 2015, when he was serving as prime minister. His remarks included;

“If the terror related cases are investigated, many people will not be able to go out to face the public. Those who criticise us now cannot go into the public. I am telling you this frankly. Do you know why? When Turkish history is written in the future, the period between June 7 and November 1 will be one of the most critical times.”