Turkey's Erdoğan gives Yıldırım mandate to form new government as PM

ANKARA - Agence France-Presse

AFP photo

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on May 22 gave his close ally and Transport Minister Binali Yıldırım the mandate to form a government as prime minister.

Yıldırım had earlier been chosen by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) as its new chairman, immediately vowing to make a priority out of implementing Erdoğan's plan for a presidential system.
 
He replaces in both posts Ahmet Davutoğlu.
 
Yıldırım, 60, was the only candidate at the AKP extraordinary congress in Ankara, receiving 1,405 votes from 1,470 delegates present.
 
Davutoğlu hours later met Erdoğan at the presidential palace to formally submit his resignation as prime minister.
 
Yıldırım then also went to the palace to be given the mandate to form the new government as premier, a presidential statement said.
 
Davutoğlu will stay on as premier until a new government is formed but that should be in the next days.