Ahmet Davutoğlu was born in 1959, in Konya. He started his studies with Istanbul Boys' High School. In the 1983-1984 academic year, he graduated from the department of Economics and Political Science and International Relations of Boğaziçi University with a double major program. He also holds a master's degree in the Department of Public Administration of the same university and a Ph.D. in Political Science and International Relations.
In 1990, he started to work as an assistant professor at the International Islamic University of Malaysia. He founded the University's Department of Political Science and held the presidency of this department until 1993. He became an associate professor in 1993 and worked in the International Relations Department of Marmara University between 1995 and 1999. Between the years 1995-1999 he was a columnist for the Yeni Safak newspaper. Davutoglu wrote more than 200 articles during this period. From 1998 to 2002, he taught at the Armed Forces Academy and War Academies as a guest lecturer.
He became a professor in 1999-2004 and a member of the university board of directors and chairman of the senate of International Relations Department at Beykent University, and worked as a visiting professor at the Department of International Relations at Marmara University.
Political Career
Following the general elections held on November 3rd, 2002 Ahmet Davutoglu, who was appointed as the Principal Consultant at the Prime Minister's Office and as the Ambassador in the period of the 58th Republican Government, continued these duties during the period of the 59th and 60th Republican Governments.
He was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the 60th Government of the Republic of Turkey on May 1, 2009. He continued his duty at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the 61st government as well.
On August 27, 2014 Davutoglu was elected as the chairman at the 1st Extraordinary Grand Congress of the Justice and Development Party and on August 28, 2014 he took office as the acting prime minister from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and was appointed to establish the 62nd Turkish Government. Ahmet Davutoglu announced on June 29, 2014 the list of the 62nd Turkish Government ministers' board established in his prime ministry. As a result of the vote of confidence held in the Turkish Grand National Assembly on Saturday, September 6, 2014 with 306 approval votes against 133 refusal votes, the 62nd Government of Turkey officially began its duty under Davutoglu's prime ministry. Ahmet Davutoglu gave his resignation to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan after the 2015 general elections, but he continued to serve as prime minister until the 63rd Turkish Government was founded.
He was elected as Party Chairman at the AK Party 5th Ordinary Congress held on September 12, 2015. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gave Davutoğlu the task of establishing a new government on November 17th. The 64th government cabinet established by Davutoğlu on November 17, 2015 was approved by President Erdoğan on November 24th.
On May 5, 2016 after the decisions made in the meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he called the AK Party on the Extraordinary Grand Congress for the election of a new chairman on May 22, 2016. Ahmet Davutoğlu declared that he will not nominate again.
Ahmet Davutoglu resigned from the AK Party Chairmanship and Prime Ministry on May 5, 2016.
Married to Sare Davutoğlu, Ahmet Davutoğlu is the father of four named Sefure, Maymune, Mehmet and Hacer.
July 15 Process
Ahmet Davutoglu and Sare Davutoglu, who came to Ankara on July 14th, attended two separate wedding ceremonies held in Ankara on July 15th during his Prime Ministry period, several hours before the coup attempt. The first wedding was held in Gölbaşı Vilayetler Evi. While Davutoğlu was leaving at 21:30 from the wedding at the open field, only a few hours later, the nearby Gölbaşı Police Special Operations Department was attacked by FETÖ member terrorists.
He heard about the news from his guard squad
After Davutoğlu left from the second wedding, it was learned that Gulenist tanks started a coup attempt in the same route minutes after he reached his destination. Davutoğlu was first informed about the coup attempt by his guard detail. After the jets started flying in Ankara, he received information from the security units. Stating that the initial information was related to an assassination attempt on Hakan Fidan, Davutoğlu said the following,
“There were really serious conflicts at MİT. They weren’t able to capture the MİT headquarters. The initial notification was regarding an assassination attempt on Hakan Fidan, not a coup. Meanwhile, since such a notice was given, Hakan Fidan went to the General Staff to inform them. However, still, it should have been shared with the President and the Prime Minister. This activity is the reason that the coup was rescheduled to an earlier time.”
Gave his first message via Twitter
Having heard about the coup, Davutoğlu initially tried to get into contact with President Erdoğan, who was in Marmaris. Then, it was reported that Davutoğlu was taken to a safe spot together with Sare Davutoğlu for the risk of assault.
Speaking to millions via his Twitter account at midnight, Davutoğlu said, “My dear nation, have no doubt that we will protect your national will that you showed in the elections of November 1st.
He called people out to squares
Then, going live at numerous national and international channel broadcasts, Davutoğlu said, “Tonight might be dark, however, tomorrow we will wake up to a much brighter morning for our country.”
He went live on NTV: Today is the day to protect your will
Former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, connected to NTV broadcast and made statements. Davutoğlu said, “Today is the day to protect your votes and your will. This is the day for armed forces’ members to stand together to protect the honor of our Armed Forces. You do not obey the orders issued to you illegally. Our armed forces are having the most important trial of their history.
Davutoğlu, who tried to contact President Erdoğan and Prime Minister Yıldırım all night long, could only get into contact with the security chief of President Erdoğan. Davutoğlu met with the President and the Prime Minister in the early morning.
He went to the TBMM the next morning.
Davutoğlu visited the Turkish Grand National Assembly Chairman İsmail Kahraman first thing in the morning. In the afternoon, in order to speak with the President and to attend funerals of martyrs Erol Olçok, Abdullah Tayyip Olçok, İlhan Varank, Mustafa Cambaz and others, he set off to İstanbul by car.
Speaking to several foreign national press, Davutoğlu gave an interview to Al Jazeera on July 17th. Giving interviews to Al Jazeera Balkans on July 18th and to Habertürk, to BBC on July 19th, and to NTV on July 27th, he informed Turkey and the rest of the world about the ongoing situations via domestic and foreign press institutions.
Condolence visit to our martyr Cambaz
Davutoğlu came to our news agency Yeni Şafak on July 19th to give his condolences to our martyr Mustafa Cambaz and read Fatihah prayer at his desk, “As a former employee of Yeni Şafak, we would fight against the February 28 coup with our pens. In another coup attempt, Yeni Şafak gave a martyr this time.”
On the same day, Davutoğlu joined Serhat Bayramoğlu's program on TVNET as a guest and evaluated the July 15 coup attempt and its aftermath.
On democracy watch
Turkey's 26th Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu attended democratic vigils that began after the repulse of the coup attempt and addressed many people in many cities. Davutoglu continued his democratic vigil in Konya on July 22nd, to which he started with President Erdoğan in Istanbul Kısıklı on the evening of July 17th.
Speaking to hundreds of thousands of people in Konya who gathered in the Mevlana Square, Former Prime Minister Davutoğlu said, “On the night of July 15, the nation stood up again and said ‘we are 78 millon, all together, united. Even if they come at us all together with cannons, tanks and aircrafts, we will not stop, we will not give in, and we will never give up.’ The whole history will see, I am speaking on behalf of the devotion of my sister who was run over by a tank, of my brother who laid under two tanks on July 15, from the Capital of Seljuk, Konya. No matter whatever is done by anyone, whoever sets up any traps, we will certainly hold the future if god allows, the future will certainly be of believers, of our modest nation.”
