Turkish Parliament rejects censure motion against FM Davutoğlu

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu speaks at General Assmebly on Dec. 9. AA Photo

Parliament has rejected a censure motion filed against Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu by the main opposition party, which had accused him of harming the country through poor foreign policy decisions.

After a nearly three-hour-long session on Dec. 9, Parliament’s General Assembly, dominated by deputies from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), voted against the Republican People’s Party (CHP) motion.

Davutoğlu took to Twitter to express his pleasure at the outcome. “The opposition once again saw that it shouldn’t test the AK Party’s power and the nation’s will. With our dear prime minister at the top, I thank my valuable AK Party deputy friends and Cabinet members who were present at the General Assembly,” he wrote. 

The motion, issued on Dec. 7, argued that the government’s policies toward Syria, Iraq, Iran and Egypt had all failed, putting Turkey in a dangerous position. It also accused Davutoğlu of “interfering” in the policies of neighboring countries.

“The loneliness to which Turkey was dragged due to the government’s policies is negatively affecting its commercial relations with the region and beyond,” the motion had read.

Turkey’s officially declared “zero problems with neighbors” strategy has been severely challenged by the changing political dynamics in the Middle East over the last few years. In particular, the bloody civil war in Syria and the military coup in Egypt have badly hit Turkey’s reputation in the region, as recent polls reveal.