LOC21:38
18:38 GMT
ISTANBUL, Aug 27 (KUNA) -- Turkey's newly-appointed prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu was on Wednesday elected leader of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, receiving votes from 1,382 delegates at the party's congress.
Davutoglu, the outgoing Foreign Minister, succeeds outgoing Prime Minister and President-elect Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who will be sworn in to office on Thursday.
Addressing the extraordinary congress, Davutoglu said that there would be no differences between the new president and his premier, but "we will build a new Turkey, hand in hand."
He added that the AK Party "is the present embodiment of a blessed march, to continue till the Day of Judgment. It is the whole nation."
Referring to the 2015 general elections in Turkey, he said his party is strong enough to send 330 members to the parliament to change the constitution. The party holds 313 seats at the present parliament.
Davutoglu vowed to carry on with the battle against "enemies of the state," apparently referring to the Fatah Ullah Golan group. He said that the last year protests against the government was "a conspiracy".
The Prime-Minister-in-waiting noted that a new era started today for the AK Party and that "no one will be marginalized in Turkey we rule." Turkey will only be ruled by those who claimed power through people's will, he noted.
Meanwhile, Erdogan addressed the AK Party congress in a farewell speech saying that he would ask Davutoglu tomorrow to form the new government, after the president himself in sworn in.
"Following the presidential swearing in ceremony, God willing, he, Ahmet Davutoglu, will be given the task of forming a cabinet. And God willing, the new cabinet will be in place on Friday,' Erdogan told the congress.
"The presidency, our new government and political institution will continue a determined and courageous struggle against treachery in a parallel state and bureaucratic tutelage at the same time," Erdogan said, and added that a parallel state nestled within a state, gangs and mafia-like organizations will never be tolerated in the 'new Turkey.' (end)
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