Former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu resigned from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) after being referred to the party's disciplinary committee for his dismissal, Daily Sabah reports.
In a statement released Friday, Davutoğlu said he submitted his resignation to "save the AK Party supporters from the headache of seeing their chairman get expelled from the party."
Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party)'s central committee referred former Ahmet Davutoğlu, former AK Party lawmakers Ayhan Sefer Üstün, Selçuk Özdağ and Abdullah Başçı to the disciplinary committee to be discharged from the party.
Former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, who resigned from party leadership in May 2016 after a growing rift with the party organization, issued an open criticism in the wake of the March 31 local elections.
The former prime minister is reportedly preparing to form a new party. He is outspoken about the government in his recent interviews and hoped to convince some AK Party figures to jump ship.
