Davutoğlu bids farewell to Foreign Ministry

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan appointed outgoing Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) as acting prime minister, according to an announcement in the official gazette, moments after being sworn in as Turkey’s 12th head of state.  

Erdoğan was set to receive Davutoğlu at 8 p.m on Aug. 28 to appoint him to form a new Cabinet, which will be presented by the new prime minister on Aug. 29.

Following the ceremony that saw Erdoğan sworn in as Turkey’s new president at Parliament, Davutoğlu had an adhoc meeting with Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek.

 Davutoğlu bids farewell to Foreign Ministry

Ahmet Davutoğlu, elected as chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), has bid farewell to his colleagues at the Foreign Ministry, saying active diplomacy would be his legacy at the ministry.

“I previously said I don’t want to see a passive diplomat. This legacy will go on,” Davutoğlu said, while addressing Foreign Ministry personnel on Aug. 28.

He asked the ministry to accelerate Turkey’s European Union membership process with the EU and demanded Turkey be more active and visible in international institutions.

While, praising the Foreign Ministry’s traditions, Davutoğlu said those traditions should continue with modernization.

“Turkey’s self-confidence in foreign policy increased,” Davutoğlu said, expressing his gratitude to his former personnel for their hard work during his term.

“The plane has become my home,” Davutoğlu said referring to his intense working schedule and adding he expects the new foreign minister to...