Turkish ruling party may defy army over president

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Turkish ruling party may defy army over president
Thu Jul 26, 2007 9:00AM EDT

By Gareth Jones

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's ruling AK Party, emboldened
by its big election win, looks increasingly likely to re-submit
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul as its candidate for president,
risking a fresh clash with powerful army generals.

But the staunchly secular military, which earlier this year
helped derail Gul's first bid to become head of state, will
find it much harder to block the former Islamist this time
around.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's centre-right, pro-business
AK Party won nearly half of the votes cast in last Sunday's
parliamentary election. On Wednesday, Gul portrayed the
outcome as a popular endorsement of his presidential
candidacy.

The army and the rest of Turkey's secular establishment
oppose Gul's candidacy because of his Islamist past and his
wife's Muslim headscarf. They fear Gul as president would
chip away at the separation of state and religion, a claim
he denies.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSL2675129820070726

[demoleft]

1. I don't understand why...

...Turkey's AKP insists on a candidate that divides opinions and create discontent in half the voters.
And Gul's Islamist past is more remarkable than his wife's headscarf.
I admit he's got good intentions if Gul's fans admit a different President would suit the situation, soothe and keep more united the soul of a divided Country.

For Turkey's good, change candidate!