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Turkey's ruling party sets to replace prime minister on May 22

Xinhua, May 5, 2016 Adjust font size:

Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) will hold an extraordinary congress and replace the prime minister on May 22, local NTV news broadcaster reported on Thursday.

The AKP will replace Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu at the extraordinary congress, the report said, citing a decision made after a meeting between Davutoglu and President Tayyip Erdogan late Wednesday.

Local media said relations between the two leaders have been tense in recent weeks.

Davutoglu is holding an extraordinary Central Executive Board meeting on Thursday and expected to announce he would not run for a seat in the congress.

"If necessary I would turn down any position that many may think a mortal could not leave," Davutoglu told lawmakers on Tuesday, triggering speculation that he was ready to leave his position due to disagreement with Erdogan, the founding leader of the AKP.

Erdogan has reportedly been seeking an executive presidency, which did not have Davutoglu's full support. Under the current parliamentary system, the presidency is mostly a symbolic institution.

Observers say that Davutoglu's upcoming ouster is likely to pave the way for a new prime minister who will back Erdogan's plan of changing the constitution and bringing an executive presidency. Endit