How Davutoglu helped shape Erdogan’s Turkiye but failed to challenge it

Ahmet Davutoglu was once one of Turkiye’s most powerful figures: The academic who helped shape the country’s ambitious foreign policy after the turn of the century, served as foreign minister and prime minister, and was chosen by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to lead the governing Justice and Development Party, or AK Party.But later, he became a critic of the political system he had helped build.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Sde Teiman walkout lays bare an Israeli military running out of trustlist 2 of 3Who are candidates to take on Infantino for FIFA presidency? All to knowlist 3 of 3Spain installs floating barrier off Ceuta after deadly migrant crossingsend of listNow, after announcing that his opposition Future Party would cease political activities, Davutoglu is withdrawing from party politics. He described the decision not as surrender but as an effort to distance himself from what he called Turkiye’s “polluted political climate”.His departure leaves a contested legacy – that of an intellectual who transformed Tukiye’s diplomatic outlook, but struggled to turn his ideas and prominence into an independent political movement.From professor to foreign ministerBor...