Turkey, Transport Minister, Binali Yildirim has emerged as the country’s new Prime Minister after the ruling party formally tapped him as its candidate to lead the party. Yildirim, a close ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for about two decades, will be the sole candidate for the Justice and Development Party, AKP, leadership at a special party congress on Sunday.
The AKP is holding the special congress to elect a new leader after Ahmet Davutoglu announced he was stepping down as head of the party following an increasingly public rift with Erdogan. Yildirim’s appointment will also reinforce Erdogan’s hold on government as he seeks to extend his powers. Yildrim said his nomination was the result of consultation among nearly 800 important AKP members.