Turkey's AK Party to announce its new chairman nominee

Turkey's governing Justice and Development Party (AK Party) will announce its new candidate and prime minister on Thursday, ahead of its second extraordinary congress on May 22.

The party's highest decision-making body, the Central Decision and Executive Board (MKYK), will convene at 11.00 a.m. to review

intra-party survey results in selection of the party's new chair.

AK Party Deputy Group Chairman Nurettin Canikli said the next leader will be declared by a four-person delegation at the party's headquarters in the wake of an executive board meeting.

The ruling party is preparing to hold its third extra-ordinary congress on Sunday. Ahead of May 22 convention, the party has requested all party members to suggest a single nominee for the chairman, who will also become the new prime minister. In the first survey, AK Party provincial heads, deputies, Central Decision and Executive Board (MKYK) members and the party's founding members have been asked to forward a single name. The final round of the survey took place at party headquarters on Monday.

When and if elected at the party's congress, the nominee will be the 27th Turkish prime minister and AK Party's third leader.

Outgoing prime minister Ahmet Davutoğlu is expected to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to submit his resignation on Sunday following his party's third congress to be held, days before Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Earlier in May, Davutoğlu said he will not run for the leadership and continue to serve as a MP of AK Party. Davutoglu's AK Party won 49.5 percent of the vote in November election, just five months after it had lost its single-party majority in June 10 ballot. The party failed to find a coalition partner, forcing the country into second round of voting.

Davutoğlu has stayed 20 months in the office.

Erdoğan will mandate Davutoğlu's successor to form Turkey's 65th government. AK Party's new leader will submit a list of cabinet ministers for presidential approval for the fifth AK Party government .According to the Turkish constitution, a political party should form the government within 45 days after receiving the mandate.

Parliament will then vote to indicate whether or not it has confidence in the new government.

The AK Party named its first cabinet after the 2003 elections.