Key facts
- Former Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has dissolved his Future Party.
- Davutoglu announced his withdrawal from party politics.
- He cited the country's "dirty political climate" as a reason for his departure.
- The Future Party failed to gain significant electoral traction, securing only 0.11% of the vote in the 2024 local elections.
- The party currently holds four seats in parliament, down from 10 secured in the 2023 general election.
- Davutoglu's party faced financial difficulties and challenges in maintaining its organization.
Former Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced on Wednesday that he is dissolving his Future Party and stepping away from party politics, citing a "dirty political climate" and financial difficulties.
Davutoglu, once a close ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, founded the Future Party in 2019 with the aim of creating an alternative conservative movement with democratic credentials. However, the party struggled to gain significant public support, achieving only 0.11 percent of the vote in the 2024 local elections.
Despite securing 10 parliamentary seats in the 2023 general election through an opposition alliance, the party's standing has been eroded by factors such as Davutoglu's support for Kemal Kilicdaroglu in the presidential election, which alienated some conservative voters due to reservations about the secularist CHP. The party currently has four MPs after several defected.
Sources familiar with Davutoglu's thinking indicated that the party had been experiencing financial difficulties. Previous attempts to merge the Future Party with Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) failed, reportedly due to Erdogan's opposition to including Davutoglu and one of his associates.
Davutoglu's political career included serving as foreign minister and prime minister, known for his "zero problems with neighbours" foreign policy. Tensions with Erdogan reportedly increased over political power dynamics, leading to Davutoglu's removal as prime minister in 2016.