Turkey’s ruling party has elected a staunch ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as its new leader, a move that is expected to bolster Erdogan’s quest to consolidate power. [How Turkey’s Erdogan tightened his grip on power by sidelining his prime minister]Binali Yildirim, pictured with his wife, Semiha Yildirim, greets supporters in Ankara on Sunday as Turkey's ruling party held a special convention. He is set to replace Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who announced this month that he would step down amid public rifts with Erdogan. The government has said that it is waging a “war on terror” against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is fighting for autonomy for Turkey’s ethnic Kurds. Davutoglu formally submitted his resignation Sunday, paving the way for Yildirim to become prime minister.

Source: Washington Post May 22, 2016 08:40 UTC