Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ally appointed prime minister of Turkey

Turkey’s prime minister formally submitted his resignation yesterday, paving the way for his replacement by a trusted ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who immediately expressed allegiance to the Turkish leader and vowed to follow his path.

Erdogan’s office said Ahmet Davutoglu resigned hours after the ruling party confirmed Transport and Communications Minister Binali Yildirim as its new chairman in an extraordinary party convention.

Erdogan formally asked Yildirim to form a new government last night but Davutoglu remains caretaker prime minister until the new government is formed.

Yildirim is widely expected to be more in tune with Erdogan, who is pushing for an overhaul of the constitution that would give the largely ceremonial presidency executive powers.

“Our path is the path of the voice and the breath of the people, our party’s leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan,” said Yildirim in a speech to thank delegates who voted overwhelmingly to endorse him as the new chairman of the governing Justice and Development Party, or AKP.

Yildirim has made clear he intends work toward introducing a new constitution that would change Turkey’s political system into a presidential one.