ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s prime minister announced Thursday that he will stand down, giving the country’s increasingly authoritarian president free rein to appoint someone less likely to challenge him —a development that could have implications for Turkey’s internal conflicts and external relations.
NATO member Turkey is crucial to the US-led coalition’s fight against the Islamic State group and also is playing a pivotal role in stemming Europe’s migrant crisis
. But Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s announcement that he will step down May 22 comes amid increasing turbulence at home: a resurgent conflict with Kurdish militants, six major suicide attacks in less than a year and an increasingly shaky economy.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was already Turkey’s dominant figure, but Davutoglu’s resignation effectively deprives the country of a moderating influence. The shakeup is widely seen as the result of irreconcilable differences between Erdogan, who would like to see the country transition to a presidential system, and his once-trusted aide, who declined a back-seat role.
Erdogan has taken an increasingly hard-line stance on issues ranging from freedom of expression to the peaceful resolution of a three-decade conflict with Kurdish rebels. He has ratcheted up his anti-Western rhetoric, accusing allies of trying to hold back a rising Turkey.
The president has launched nearly 2,000 legal cases against people accused of insulting him. He wants to expand the definition of ‘‘terrorist’’ to include anyone who supports or lends a voice to a terrorist organization, including scholars, journalists, and legislators — which has alarmed human rights activists and Western officials.
Erdogan has been emboldened by more than a decade of electoral victories and a long period of economic growth. Part of his appeal to many Turks stems from the strongman persona.
The bookish Davutoglu, a former foreign minister whom Erdogan picked to replace him as premier when he won the presidency in 2014, offered Europe and the United States an easier and more diplomatic partner. But allies knew well that there were clear limits to his power.
Retired US Ambassador W. Robert Pearson, who was posted in Turkey from 2000 to 2003, says he doesn’t expect a ‘‘radical change’’ of direction in US-Turkey relations because ‘‘Mr. Davutoglu clearly followed Mr. Erdogan’s lead in foreign affairs, and this split is over domestic affairs.’’
There is, however, a risk that the political upheaval will add a ‘‘new element of confusion’’ to the relationship, he said — and there is a ‘‘greater risk’’ now that Turkey will focus more on action against the Kurds and less on action against IS.
In Washington, White House spokesman Josh Earnest praised Davutoglu as a ‘‘good partner’’ who had demonstrated leadership, but said the United States didn’t anticipate that his resignation would affect the countries’ ability to work together.
The shakeup will likely have a greater impact on Turkish-EU relations. Davutoglu was the chief negotiator in a high-stakes deal to stem the flow of migrants to Greece and beyond, and European leaders will be keen to assess Turkey’s future intentions.
