Binali Yildirim becomes new chairman of governing AK Party
Current Minister of Transport, Maritime and Communications Binali Yildirim garners 1,405 votes from delegates at AK Party's second extraordinary congress in Ankara and becomes the new chairman.
New chairman of Turkey's governing AK Party Binali Yildirim greets supporters at the Ankara Arena during the second extraordinary congress of AK Party in Ankara, Turkey on May 22, 2016.
Turkey's Minister of Transport, Maritime Affairs, and Communications Binali Yildirim has been elected as governing Justice and Development (AK) Party's new chairman after an extraordinary congress in Ankara.
Yildirim, who was the sole candidate for the party's third chairmanship, garnered 1,405 out of 1,411 votes in the election held at the at the Arena Sports Hall Sunday, Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag announced.
Out of 1,411 votes, six were declared invalid, Bozdag added.
The 60-year-old new AK Party chairman is now set to replace Ahmet Davutoglu as the country's next prime minister.
Turkey's Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim, accompanied by his wife Semiha Yildirim, greets members of his party as he arrives for the congress of the ruling AK Party (AKP) to choose the new leader of the party, in Ankara, Turkey May 22.
Voting for the party's 50-member Central Decision and Administrative Board, Central Disciplinary Board, Political Wisdom Ethical Board and Intra-party Democracy Arbitration Board continues at the congress.
On May 5, outgoing Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced that he would not run for the AK Party chairmanship.
In August 2014, Davutoglu, who had served as foreign minister since 2009, was elected chairman of the party after then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan ran for president.
Davutoglu became the second chairman of AK Party after 13 years with Erdogan as the leader.
Yildirim, a co-founder of the party, which was established in August 2001, has served as transport minister (with other portfolios, including maritime) in five Turkish governments under prime ministers Abdullah Gul, Erdogan and Davutoglu.
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