Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has appointed Binali Yildirim as the new prime minister shortly after he was elected the ruling AKP party's chief.
Yildirim is viewed as a pliant figure for President Erdogan's authoritarian ambitions. Upon assuming the new position, Yildirim said he would prioritize Erdogan's preferred transition into a presidential system during his tenure, AFP reported.
Earlier on Sunday, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) confirmed the former transport minister and longtime ally of President Erdogan as the new chairman in an uncontested election. Shortly after, Ahmet Davutoglu resigned from the premier's position.
Davutoglu announced he would step down earlier this month amid reported differences with Erdogan. But those differences appear to have been pushed under the rug, with Davutoglu saying on Sunday that he wanted to uphold unity within the party despite his "wish not to leave so soon".
