Turkey's set AKP to call for extraordinary congress: Sources

(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) >Prime MinisterAhmet Davutoluwill hold a crucial press meeting on May 5 following an extraordinary Central Executive Board (MYK) meeting earlier the same day according to reports that came after the PM met with PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdoanamid rumors of a resignation.
Reports and sources say the party will hold a congress soon with the PM not running for the seat.

The meeting between Davutolu and Erdoan at the Presidential Palace lasted for an hour and 40 minutes.

Presidential sources said no further statement would be made noting only that the pair’s regular meeting had ended.

However prime ministry sources said the party MYK would convene to discuss the matter of a congress.

Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) sources told theHürriyet Daily Newsthat Davutolu would not run for a seat in the congress.

Still the congress might not be entirely smooth since the PM has a clout over some 120 deputies sources told the Daily News asking to remain anonymous.

Broadcaster CNN Türk quoted sources as saying the congress would be held this month.

The relations were reportedly tense between the two statesmen amid fresh rumors suggesting that Davutolu may be planning to resign after saying on May 3 that he would not hesitate to “walk away from any job position.”

The regular “State Day” meeting between the two generally takes place on Thursdays but in Erdoan’s official schedule posted in the early hours of May 4 it was seen that his regular weekly meeting with Davutolu had been moved forward.

Erdoan said “you should not forget how you got your post” in pointed remarks before the meeting.

“There is no difference between a village head who could not win the hearts of the people in his village or neighborhood and a president who could not win the support of his people” Erdoan said in Ankara addressing a group of neighborhood heads (muhtars) on May 4.

“What matters is that you should not forget how you got to your post what you should do there and what your targets are” he said adding that those who win popular support are “invincible.”

“Posts are a means to serve the people. Your hearts and minds should work to serve the nation regardless of whether you’re a muhtar a mayor an MP a minister a prime minister or a president” Erdoan said.

The meeting sparked additional interest as it came after an address by Davutolu to his party deputies on May 3 in parliament that lasted just 26 minutes – the shortest he has ever delivered as leader of the AKP.

Davutolu’s May 3 speech came after the AKP’s highest decision-making body the 50-seat Central Decision and Executive Board (MKYK) ruled to remove his authority to appoint provincial officials on April 29.

“If necessary I would turn down any position that many may think a mortal could not leave” he said adding to speculation that he was ready to leave his position due to a challenge to his leadership from the founding leader of the party Erdoan.

Davutolu became prime minister on Aug. 27 2014 a day after Erdoan became president. Davutolu’s leadership came after a period of speculation on who would replace Erdoan in the party after Erdoan’s election to the presidency.

The decision by the MKYK to remove Davutolu’s right to appoint regional party officials has been widely seen as the opening salvo in a conflict to undermine his authority. Current MKYK members were elected at a September 2015 party congress in which the president who the constitution stipulates must remain impartial reportedly flexed his muscles to closely shape the party. Erdoan made his clout felt in the congress by having those personally loyal to him elected to the MKYK overshadowing Davutolu’s preferences. At the time reports circulated before the congress that zmir deputy Binali Yldrm one of Erdoan’s closest aides who returned to cabinet as the transport minister after the Nov. 1 election was among the 47 MKYK members who signed in favor of the April 29 decision.

“I wouldn’t allow this pure movement and its pure-hearted staff – the only hope of the oppressed all over the world – to become sad” Davutolu vowed in his May 3 speech.

The parliamentary group meeting was followed by a meeting of the MYK the lower body of the ruling AKP. It was the MYK’s shortest ever meeting lasting just around 50 minutes.

According to daily Hürriyet columnist Abdülkadir Selvi Davutolu was asked during the MYK meeting about his remarks.

“I haven’t made my decision yet. I’m still in the decision stage. I’ve been assessing the situation” Davutolu said in response Selvi wrote citing sources from the AKP.

“Tonight is Miraç Kandili [the day of the Prophet Muhammad’s ascent to heaven]. We will contemplate. We will recall. We will review ourselves” Davutolu reportedly said underlining that he would not be involved in any move that would “harm the AKP.”

A member of the MYK speaking to Selvi after the meeting said the prime minister used “open-ended expressions.”

According to the AKP’s internal regulations the right to appoint local party heads originally belonged to the MKYK. However that right was later given to Erdoan in 2002 only a year after the party was founded.
The April 29 move came after rumors that Davutolu did not consider recommendations from the presidency in recent appointment decisions.

In the past months the executives of around 15 provincial and district party bodies have been reshuffled.
During the MYK meeting on May 3 Davutolu asked Mustafa Ata the AKP’s deputy chair in charge of party organization – who Davutolu uses to appoint district and provincial heads of the party – to join AKP provincial chairs to brief the MYK about the reasons behind the appointments daily Hürriyet reported on May 4.

Some party sources said Davutolu’s speech at the parliamentary group meeting was marked by “sadness and resentment” a sign that “sustaining the relationship between Davutolu and Erdoan has become more difficult.”