124 Facts About Ahmet Davutoglu

Ahmet Davutoglu is a Turkish academic, politician and former diplomat who served as the 26th Prime Minister of Turkey and Leader of the Justice and Development Party from 2014 to 2016.

Ahmet Davutoglu previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2009 to 2014 and chief advisor to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan from 2003 to 2009.

Ahmet Davutoglu was elected as an AKP Member of Parliament for Konya in the 2011 general election and was reelected as an MP in both the June and November 2015 general elections.

Ahmet Davutoglu was unanimously elected as leader during the first AKP extraordinary congress and consequently succeeded Erdogan as prime minister, forming the 62nd Government of the Turkish Republic.

Ahmet Davutoglu's cabinet was dominated by Erdogan's close allies such as Yalcin Akdogan; this led to speculation that he would take a docile approach as prime minister while Erdogan continued to pursue his own political agenda as president.

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Ahmet Davutoglu announced that an Extraordinary party Congress would be held on 22 May 2016 and that he would not stand for re-election for the party leadership.

Ahmet Davutoglu was succeeded as leader by Binali Yildirim and tendered his resignation as Prime Minister soon afterward.

Ahmet Davutoglu's administration oversaw an escalation of conflict between the government and the Kurdistan Workers' Party after a two-year ceasefire broke down in mid-2015, with his premiership being described as the 'bloodiest' in Turkey's history.

Ahmet Davutoglu's government presided over the ongoing political conflict with the Gulen Movement and the spillover effects of the Syrian Civil War across the border with Turkey, as well as the European migrant crisis that emerged as a result.

In September 2019, having long been speculated to be preparing to launch his own party, Ahmet Davutoglu resigned from the AKP and accused his former party of no longer being able to provide solutions for Turkey.

Ahmet Davutoglu graduated from Istanbul Erkek Lisesi, which is a Deutsche Auslandsschule and studied at the Department of Economics and Political Science of the Bogazici University, Istanbul.

Ahmet Davutoglu holds a master's degree in public administration and a PhD degree in political science and international relations from Bogazici University.

Between 1993 and 1996 Ahmet Davutoglu taught political sciences at International Islamic University Malaysia.

Ahmet Davutoglu was the chairman of the Department of International Relations at Beykent University in Istanbul.

Since 1984 he has been married to Sare Ahmet Davutoglu, who is a gynecologist working in Istanbul and a vocal anti-abortion campaigner.

Ahmet Davutoglu's publications include Alternative Paradigms: The Impact of Islamic and Western Weltanschauungs on Political Theory, The Civilizational Transformation and The Muslim World in English, Stratejik Derinlik, and Kuresel Bunalim in Turkish.

Ahmet Davutoglu's book Strategic Depth is a very influential book in Turkey's foreign policy orientation, even becoming a bestseller in Greece in July 2010.

Ahmet Davutoglu was very influential in the military, academic, and government triangle shaping Turkish foreign policy in the 2000s.

Ahmet Davutoglu became Recep Tayyip Erdogan's chief foreign policy advisor after the latter became prime minister, developing the Justice and Development Party's new foreign policy outlook that would bring Turkey to play a larger role in the Middle East.

In contrast to these theories, Ahmet Davutoglu has in the past advocated a pro-western policy as a NATO member by expressing support for European Union membership.

Ahmet Davutoglu has called for Turkey to become more than just a regional power within Europe and the Middle East and expressed a desire for Ankara to have a far more influential role in world politics.

Ahmet Davutoglu is generally linked to the notion of Turkish neo-Ottomanism, which favours a commonwealth with its neighbours and old Ottoman connections.

Since Ahmet Davutoglu is a Sunni Muslim, Ozkan stated that Iran is not part of Ahmet Davutoglu's plans for a united Middle East.

Ahmet Davutoglu arguably observes parallel manners between Turgut Ozal and Abdul Hamid II.

However, Ahmet Davutoglu can be said to have not defensive but expansionist pan-Islamic notions, as shown by his statements about the Syrian Civil War.

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The advocacy of Islamic democracy by the Brotherhood as well as the AKP provides a means of Ahmet Davutoglu to expand Turkey's regional influence using Islam as a common heritage that unites Middle Eastern nations together.

Istanbul hosted two meetings of the Muslim Brotherhood after the removal of Morsi's government from office, for which Ahmet Davutoglu faced criticism for hosting since it would damage ties with the government of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Ahmet Davutoglu was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2009 despite not being a member of parliament.

Ahmet Davutoglu entered the Grand National Assembly as an MP for Konya in the 2011 general election and continued serving as foreign minister in Recep Tayyip Erdogan's third cabinet.

On 30 March 2012, Ahmet Davutoglu met with Bechara Boutros al-Rahi of Lebanon and said that they should meet occasionally during this century.

In 2010, Ahmet Davutoglu set out four pillars upon which his foreign policy rests.

Ahmet Davutoglu claimed that the goal of his policy was to integrate different nations and develop cultural understanding between different faiths and races, as well as maintaining co-operative relations and peaceful dialogue in order to solve crises when they arise.

Ahmet Davutoglu's failures are mostly associated with Turkey's policy on the Syrian Civil War, attempts to increase political influence over former Ottoman states and his controversial stance against Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi who took power in 2014.

Ahmet Davutoglu presided over a significant improvement in relations with Egypt following the election of Mohamed Morsi as president in 2012, followed by a sudden deterioration shortly after the latter's removal in 2013.

Ahmet Davutoglu claimed that intense diplomatic traffic between Ankara and Cairo took place before the overthrow,.

Ahmet Davutoglu compared Morsi's overthrow to the Turkish coups in 1960 and 1980.

Ahmet Davutoglu criticised the judicial decision to sentence 529 Muslim Brotherhood members to death, further arguing that the Egyptian government was anti-democratic and acting illegally.

AKP government's stance and President Erdogan's remarks on Egypt have resulted in Ahmet Davutoglu's government being criticised strongly overseas, being blamed by the United Arab Emirates for 'irresponsible and blatant interference in the internal affairs' of Egypt.

Ahmet Davutoglu further stated that the international community needed to see Turkey as an EU member, but said that it was unacceptable for Turkish citizens to be denied the right to free movement within Europe.

Ahmet Davutoglu has stated that with a multicultural identity and a diverse history, Turkey has a natural responsibility to bring about peace and stability within the world.

Since Turkey already has close economic and diplomatic relations with EU member states, Ahmet Davutoglu has emphasised that full EU membership would benefit both Turkey and all other member states with added security and trade.

Furthermore, Ahmet Davutoglu has advocated that a united Europe with Turkey as a member would be fit to fight terrorism and other threats to democracy and human rights.

In June 2012, Ahmet Davutoglu accused the Greek government of not respecting the rights of Turkish minorities, especially in Western Thrace.

Ahmet Davutoglu further stressed that the alleged withdrawal of Greek citizenships from Turkish minority citizens was against the Treaty of Lausanne.

In 2013, Ahmet Davutoglu brought a possible two-state solution of the Cyprus dispute to Greek Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos after controversy erupted over the ownership of offshore oil reserves.

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Ahmet Davutoglu claimed that negotiations to resolve the dispute would accelerate under the leadership of Nikos Anastasiadis, who had supported the Annan Plan and had voted yes in the 2004 Annan Plan referendum.

This, according to Ahmet Davutoglu, was in stark contrast to former Republic of Cyprus President Demetris Christofias, who had voted against.

Ahmet Davutoglu has expressed that any new possible solution does not need to be based on the Annan Plan.

Ahmet Davutoglu criticised the ECHR ruling, and claimed that it contained errors and inconsistencies.

The government of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus supported Ahmet Davutoglu's position, arguing that the court ruling was simply made to please Greece and Greek Cypriots.

In contrast to Turkey's western allies, Ahmet Davutoglu stated that there was no plan to place an embargo on Iranian oil, and claimed that sanctions against Iran had damaged Turkey.

Ahmet Davutoglu has stated that his vision for Turkey is for the country to become an "energy corridor" for eastern oil.

Ahmet Davutoglu's stance has been at odds with other cabinet ministers such as Energy minister Taner Yildiz, who sought to buy more oil from Libya in order to comply with United Nations sanctions against Iran.

Ahmet Davutoglu further stated that Turkey would not want to see the spread of nuclear arms throughout the region.

In late 2013, Ahmet Davutoglu stated that both Turkey and Iran were united for regional stability.

Ahmet Davutoglu has claimed that the Turkish policy against the Islamic State has been to try and prevent sectarian violence at all costs by reaching out to both Sunni and Shi'ite communities.

Ahmet Davutoglu has voiced concern on the impact that the growing unrest has had on Iraq's Turkmen and Yazidi minorities.

Ahmet Davutoglu stated that Turkey is the biggest contributor of humanitarian aid in Iraq.

In 2014, Ahmet Davutoglu visited northern Iraq and met regional President Massoud Barzani multiple times, stating that Turkey sought closer ties with the KRG in terms of diplomatic relations as well as oil trade.

Ahmet Davutoglu further stated that no hostilities remained between Turkey and the KRG due to the PKK ceasefire.

Ahmet Davutoglu stated that the State of Israel should issue an apology for the incident and pay compensation, and lift the naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Ahmet Davutoglu managed to secure an apology in March 2013, and compensation deals were finalised in 2014.

Ahmet Davutoglu further stated that the political unrest in Egypt had delayed the lifting of the naval blockade.

In February 2014, Ahmet Davutoglu claimed that Turkish-Israeli relations were closer to normalisation than ever, and that the strengthening of Palestine will help increase the influence of Turkey in the Middle East.

Ahmet Davutoglu's remarks were criticised by lawyers for allegedly interfering with the cases against the Israeli soldiers who were involved in the Mavi Marmara incident.

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At an Ankara conference in May 2014, Ahmet Davutoglu claimed that the Israeli occupation of Jerusalem caused suffering to citizens, and that it was a moral obligation to protect the city's culture and Islamic identity.

Ahmet Davutoglu took a humanitarian approach in an attempt to end the suffering of Libyan civilians during the Civil War.

In May 2011, Ahmet Davutoglu met with rebel leaders and voiced concerns on the threats to civilians, arguing that a peaceful transition of power could be achieved if Gaddafi and his family stepped aside.

Ahmet Davutoglu has stated that Turkey is eager to enhance economic co-operation with Russia.

Ahmet Davutoglu supported Russia's call for Syria to hand over its chemical weapons instead of risking foreign military intervention.

Ahmet Davutoglu has supported the need for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine and Crimea through diplomatic negotiations, and has raised concern over the treatments of Crimean Tatars by Russian armed forces.

Ahmet Davutoglu called for the Russians to lift the ban on Tatar leader and Ukrainian Member of Parliament Mustafa Dzhemilev's entrance to Crimea, the respect for international law and the union of Ukraine.

Ahmet Davutoglu has stated that Turkey would not recognise the result of the status referendum in Crimea.

In March 2014, Ahmet Davutoglu accepted nearly 50 representatives from various Crimea charities from throughout Turkey, as well as from the Crimean Tatar Charity Federation.

Ahmet Davutoglu later claimed that the future of Turkish Crimeans was the most important problem for the country and that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was doing all it could to prevent the situation from destabilising any further.

Ahmet Davutoglu has played a leading role in the Turkish government's close bilateral ties with the Federal Government of Somalia.

Ahmet Davutoglu further encouraged other nations to follow suit and re-open their own embassies in the country, welcoming in that regard the new British embassy in Mogadishu.

In May 2013, Ahmet Davutoglu was among the participants at the Somalia Conference in London co-chaired by President Mohamud.

Ahmet Davutoglu therein emphasized the importance of supporting Mohamud's Six-Pillar Policy for Somalia.

Ahmet Davutoglu reaffirmed Turkey's commitment to Somalia's territorial integrity and political sovereignty.

Ahmet Davutoglu has supported the need to strengthen the rebels against Assad's regime, though his stance was complicated by the growing influence of Al-Qaeda related militant action within Syria as the civil war progressed.

In September 2012, Ahmet Davutoglu called for the establishment of "safe zones" in northern Syria to accommodate refugees and reduce the number of civilian casualties.

Ahmet Davutoglu warned that continued global inactivity in regards to Syria will lead to failure "like Bosnia" in response to the United Nations General Assembly's failure to reach consensus.

Ahmet Davutoglu claimed that the jet had violated Turkish airspace, whereas this allegation was denied by the Syrian authorities.

Ahmet Davutoglu stated that suspicion of the Syrian opposition and their possible involvement should be avoided, and that violent groups had no place in the Syrian peace process.

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Ahmet Davutoglu has been a heavy critic of both the aims and the conduct of the anti-government protests which began in late May 2013.

Ahmet Davutoglu further claimed that in any European capital, a demonstration at a central square such as Taksim would be forced to disband within 18 days of protest.

Ahmet Davutoglu argued that his party was using undemocratic methods to pursue its agenda.

Ahmet Davutoglu has denied that any form of corruption has occurred during the AKP government.

Ahmet Davutoglu further claimed that his party would not yield or slow down in bringing about reforms that had been planned.

Ahmet Davutoglu became the 26th Prime Minister of Turkey on 29 August 2014 after his predecessor Recep Tayyip Erdogan was elected as the 12th President of Turkey.

Ahmet Davutoglu initially served as acting prime minister between 28 and 29 August 2014.

Ahmet Davutoglu has often been referred to as 'Erdogan's Yildirim Akbulut' due to the similar circumstances of his ascension to the Prime Minister's Office with that of Yildirim Akbulut in 1989.

Ahmet Davutoglu thus formed his government on the 29th while Erdogan took over as president.

Marmara University Assistant Professor Yuksel Taskin is a proponent of this view, claiming that Ahmet Davutoglu has planned on becoming prime minister for over 20 years, which would make it seem unlikely that he would consent to acting as Recep Tayyip Erdogan's puppet.

Ahmet Davutoglu became prime minister at a time of economic slowdown and uncertainty, which he blames on the weak global economy, particularly the Eurozone.

On 6 November 2014, Ahmet Davutoglu announced plans to boost the economy through greater global integration.

Ahmet Davutoglu has aimed to reduce the country's dependency of foreign energy imports, and pledged to not pursue a populist economic agenda in the run-up to the June 2015 general election.

CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu claimed that Ahmet Davutoglu had been appointed as prime minister by Erdogan in order to end the corruption investigations dating from the 17 December 2013 scandal.

The prospect of Ahmet Davutoglu's government taking a strong approach against corruption is therefore doubted by political analysts and opposition members.

Ahmet Davutoglu has stated that his main priority is to draft a new constitution after the June 2015 general election.

Ahmet Davutoglu has called for opposition parties to be more engaged in this process.

Ahmet Davutoglu claimed that the current constitution did not enshrine necessary checks and balances or guarantee a stable democratic system, nor did it encourage political participation due to its strict centrist approach.

Ahmet Davutoglu has thus called for a more liberal, civilian and pluralistic constitution which would respond to the needs of modern Turkey and increase the welfare of its citizens.

The opposition have claimed that the true aims of Ahmet Davutoglu's proposed reforms are to diminish the principles of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and to dismantle the independent judiciary.

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Ahmet Davutoglu's government has pledged to improve worker safety in response to the large number of accidents in mines and construction sites.

Ahmet Davutoglu subsequently promised to review laws regarding workplace safety and implement regulations more carefully, though the alleged links between the owner of the construction site and the AKP resulted in sharp criticism.

On 5 May 2016, Ahmet Davutoglu announced his resignation as leader of the AKP, adding that he would call for an Extraordinary Party Congress on 22 May 2016 to elect a successor.

Ahmet Davutoglu added that he would not stand for re-election as party leader, thereby effectively announcing his resignation as Prime Minister of Turkey.

Ahmet Davutoglu's resignation was a result of a sharp deterioration in relations with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who supports an executive presidential system of government that would result in the dissolution or severe reduction of powers of the Office of the Prime Minister.

The list included allegations that Ahmet Davutoglu was critical of Erdogan's desire for an executive presidential system of government.

The files indicated that Ahmet Davutoglu opposed Erdogan's policy of pursuing a military-only solution to combating the Kurdistan Workers Party.

Ahmet Davutoglu was accused of attempting to establish his own media outlet while giving interviews to existing outlets that had been critical of Erdogan.

On 4 May 2016, Ahmet Davutoglu met Erdogan at the Presidential Complex in what the Presidency described as a 'routine meeting'.

Ahmet Davutoglu claimed that he would not seek to divide the party after stepping down and continue as an MP, pledging his unwavering support for Erdogan and his political agenda.

Ahmet Davutoglu claimed that he would reject office based on bargaining with other actors.

Ahmet Davutoglu's statement was in contrast to Erdogan's account of the events, where he had claimed that the resignation was Davutoglu's own decision.

White House made a statement saying that they did not expect any change in Turkish-American relations due to Ahmet Davutoglu's departure, calling him a 'good ally' to the United States while renewing calls for greater freedom of the press.

General John Allen claimed that while relations with Ahmet Davutoglu were strong, relations with his successor could be more difficult.

In December 2019, Ahmet Davutoglu founded his own party, the Future Party as a right conservative party.

Ahmet Davutoglu was an AKP parliamentary candidate in 2011 and the leader of the AKP in both the June 2015 and November 2015 general elections.

Ahmet Davutoglu was made Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2009, despite not being a member of parliament.

Ahmet Davutoglu was elected as an MP for Konya in the 2011 general election as the first candidate on the AKP's provincial party list.

Ahmet Davutoglu resumed his role as Foreign Minister after Recep Tayyip Erdogan formed his third government.