Outgoing Turkish President Abdullah Gül has estimated that incumbent Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu will become the new leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and hence the Prime Minister following the party congress later this month, Today’s Zaman reports.

Gül told reporters during his farewell reception for civil society representatives that he believes Davutoğlu will become the ruling party's new leader and wished him success. He added that he helped the foreign minister clime state and political ranks.

Gül noted that he favors parliamentary system -- remarks that stood in contradiction to Turkish Prime Minister and President-elect Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's declared intention to shift to the presidential system. He ruled out any chaos within the ruling party, bashing "newcomers" for "disrespectful behavior" against him.

The outgoing President said he will certainly return to politics, reiterating that the AK Party is the political movement he founded.