Davutoglu: Turkey PM who Struggled to Escape Erdogan's Shadow

A bookish yet ambitious former academic, Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu tried to carve out a profile of his own under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan but could never escape his master's shadow.

Davutoglu on Thursday was expected to announce a congress that will elect his successor, after throwing in the towel in a very private but bitter power struggle with Erdogan, Turkish media reported.

He was picked as ruling party leader and prime minister when Erdogan was elected president in August 2014. At the time he was seen as a devoted servant of the president.

But after being branded Erdogan's "puppet", the 57-year-old Davutoglu sought to show a political vigor to match the cunning of the charismatic premier-turned president.

Usually softly-spoken, the bespectacled Davutoglu often dropped his kindly smile and raised the decibel count at campaign rallies in feisty outbursts more reminiscent of his master.

Disputes with the president -- known for his notoriously short temper -- were kept behind closed doors but believed to be numerous on key areas of policy.

- 'Trample on my honor' -

Davutoglu had reportedly called for Turkey to return to the negotiating table to end a resurgent conflict with Kurdish militants but was immediately slapped down by Erdogan who said there would be no end to the military campaign.

The prime minister showed no haste in implementing Erdogan's cherished project of creating a presidential system that would have undermined the powers of the premier.

One of the final straws may have been a landmark deal with the EU agreed in March to halt the flow of migrants to Europe which was championed by Davutoglu but notably sidelined Erdogan.

A consensus man, Davutoglu wanted to improve Turkey's image in the West, which was undermined by the repression of anti-government protests in 2013 and, more recently, a clampdown on press freedom.

The two men also bickered over the status of Turkey's central bank, with Davutoglu repeatedly stressing its independent status while Erdogan pressured for rate cuts to stimulate growth.

The confrontation between the two men reached a peak on April 29 when Davutoglu was stripped of his authority to appoint the party's provincial leaders.

Cracks already emerged at a ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) congress in September, when there were rumors Davutoglu faced a leadership challenge from transport minister Binali Yildirim, an Erdogan loyalist, although he was ultimately re-elected unopposed.

In his shortest ever speech to the ruling party since becoming premier, Davutoglu on Tuesday said: "I would rather trample on my honor than break the heart of colleagues with whom I share common cause," -- a message commentators said signaled he might quit.

Erdogan was quick to reply, declaring top positions were merely an instrument to serve the people. "What matters is that you do not forget how you come to your current position," he said in a remark seen as a swipe at Davutoglu.

Analysts expect Davutoglu to quit the party leadership and government without a fight, but remain on as a lawmaker.

- Foreign policy guru -

A fluent speaker of English, German and Arabic, Davutoglu was born in Konya, one of Turkey's most religiously conservative provinces and a bedrock of AKP support.

Married with four children, Davutoglu dedicates time to his family outside work but has had little time to indulge his passion for books, his wife Sare, a gynecologist, told AFP last year.

A tough negotiator and strategic thinker, he has been a key government player since Erdogan first came to power as prime minister in 2003.

Davutoglu had been a faithful servant to Erdogan as an advisor before being promoted to the job of foreign minister in 2009.

Encouraged by Erdogan, who has always pushed for Turkey to become a world power, Davutoglu sought a pivotal role for the country as a mediator in conflicts in the Middle East.

The policy shift sparked accusations that the Islamic-rooted government was promoting "neo-Ottomanism" and even "pan-Islamism" in seeking to restore Turkish influence throughout the former Ottoman Empire.

By contrast with the ebullient president Davutoglu advocated a policy of "zero problems" with Turkey's neighbours and embarked on fence-mending efforts with countries such as Armenia.

But the Arab Spring left Turkey with a host of problems in its backyard, including Islamic State (IS) jihadists and emboldened Kurdish militias on its border with Syria.