Democratically-elected Ahmet Davutoglu announced he was stepping down, and that a replacement would be chosen at the party congress later this month.
Umit Bektas / Reuters
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced he is stepping down during a news conference in Ankara on Thursday.
He said he would officially resign at an extraordinary party congress later in May, where his replacement would be chosen, Hurriyet Daily News reported.
The resignation of the democratically-elected Davutoglu comes amid reports of a rift with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and follows talks with other senior officials for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Davutoglu and Erdogan in Ankara on Wednesday.
Umit Bektas / Reuters
Davutoglu has long been thought to be against Erdoğan's plan to consolidate power by moving Turkey toward a presidential system of governance, according to BBC News. AKP's victory in last November's general election is largely credited to Davutoglu, who became the face of the party after Erdoğan stepped back.
His decision to resign comes after AKP's Central Decision and Executive Board removed his right to appoint local party leaders, according to Hurriyet, which was seen as a sign of his weakening influence.
"I have no sense of failure or regrets in taking this decision," he told reporters on Thursday, adding that the resignation was "my choice, but a necessity".
"The changing of chairs is more proper; I do not want to be a candidate at the congress," he said.
Davutoglu also insisted that he still enjoyed a cordial relationship with the president.
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