Former Turkish PM struggles to find HQ for his new party

Finding a building to rent in order to set the place up as headquarters turned into a major struggle for former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, with over 10 building owners turning him down over concerns of "getting into trouble afterwards."

Duvar English

Former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has struggled to find the headquarters to set up his new party, with over 10 building owners rejecting him.

Davutoğlu, who resigned from his long-time Justice and Development Party (AKP) membership, has been searching for a place to use as headquarters in order to establish the party in early December in the capital Ankara.

"We are not behind our schedule. We will have established the party before the new year," Davutoğlu said this week.

Davutoğlu's team has failed to rent a place for weeks due to the building owners' unwillingness to rent it to the new party, citing concern for "getting into trouble afterwards."

Following meticulous search, a building was finally rented in a district governed by a main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) municipality.

Last month, an office rented by Davutoğlu was locked and sealed by an AKP municipality.

Upon resigning from the AKP, Davutoğlu has increasingly become critical of the ruling party and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.