Former PM, AKP Chair Davutoğlu Forms New Party, Promises to Bring Back Parliamentary System

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Former Prime Minister and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Ahmet Davutoğlu has announced the establishment of his new Future (Gelecek) Party in a press conference in the capital Ankara.

"We declare the establishment of our new party, saying, 'The future is our nation's, the future is Turkey's," he remarked.

Davutoğlu promised to bring back the parliamentary system, which Turkey abandoned after switching to a presidential system following a controversial referendum in 2017.

He also emphasized that the principle of division of powers should be established and a new constitution should be written.

"One of Turkey's oldest debates is that of our country country having a fully democratic, libertarian and civil new constitution. Without a democratic constitution, Turkey will not have a prosperous and democratic future.

"Our party argues that the new constitution that our nation deserves should be written from scratch, with the widest possible participation."

Davutoğlu served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs between 2009 and 2014 and the Prime Minister and the AKP Chair between 2014 and 2016. He was forced to resign as the AKP Chair and the PM in 2016 after disagreements with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

He resigned from the party in September, saying that the party "has no longer has the opportunity to be a remedy for the problems of the cıuntry."

Ali Babacan, another former senior AKP figure, is also poised to found a new party. (HA/VK)