Turkish MPs fail to elect president, vote challenged at court

[Eugene]

Source: Agence France-Presse

Turkish MPs fail to elect president, vote challenged at court

by Sibel Utku Bila
1 hour, 12 minutes ago

ANKARA (AFP) - Turkey's parliament failed Friday to elect a
president as the opposition boycotted the first round of voting
over the candidate's Islamist roots and mounted a legal
challenge to disrupt the election process.

The divisive election has widened the rift between Turkey's
secularists and the Islamist-rooted Justice and Development
Party (AKP) of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan whose
closest aide, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is the sole
candidate.

Gul garnered 357 votes from the 550-seat assembly, where
the boycott of opposition legislators left the AKP almost on
its own. He needed a two-thirds majority of 367 to win.

-snip-

But the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) rushed
to the Constitutional Court, seeking to annul Wednesday's vote
on a technicality and possibly force early general elections.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070427/wl_afp/turkeypoliticsvote_070427190013

[Eugene]

1. Harsh army warning over secularism hits Turkish presidential vote

Source: Agence France-Presse

Harsh army warning over secularism hits Turkish presidential vote

by Sibel Utku Bila
1 hour, 10 minutes ago

ANKARA (AFP) - The Turkish army issued a stiff warning Friday
that it is there to protect the secular system, only hours after
parliament began rounds of presidential voting in which Islamist-
rooted Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is the sole candidate.

The military accused the ruling Justice and Development Party
(AKP), the offshoot of a now-banned Islamist movement, of
failing to prevent rising anti-secular activity in the country.

There was no immediate reaction from Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan's government.

Analysts said the extraordinarily harsh statement was an
"ultimatum" that could result in early general elections, and a
clear indication that the powerful military does not welcome
Gul as president.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070427/ts_afp/turkeypoliticsvote_070427233926

[maddezmom]

2. Turkey in political crisis

Turkey in political crisis

ISTANBUL, Turkey, April 27: The Turkish military threatened to overthrow the government Friday if it strays from the country's secular tradition.

The military statement came after secular parties boycotted the presidential vote in Parliament, denying a two-thirds majority to the only candidate, Abdullah Gul, The New York Times reported.

"In recent days, the problem during the presidential election has focused on secularism discussions," the military statement read. "The Turkish armed forces maintains its firm determination to carry out its clearly specified duties to protect these principles and has absolute loyalty and belief in this determination."

Gul is an ally of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. While he is a devout Muslim, Gul, now foreign minister, is also an advocate of Turkish membership in the European Union.

more:http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=23299

[maddezmom]

3. EU warns Turkish army not to interfere in politics

BRUSSELS (AFP) - The European Union warned the Turkish army on Saturday not to interfere in the country's democratic process amid a dispute over the ruling party's Islamist-rooted candidate to be Turkey's next president.

"It is important that the military leaves the remit of democracy to the democratically elected government," EU Enlargement Commissioner, Ollie Rehn, said in a statement.

His comments follows an army warning issued on Friday that the military would defend Turkey's secularist system after parliament failed to approve the ruling party's candidate for president.

"This is a test case if the Turkish armed forces respect democratic secularism and the democratic arrangement of civil-military relations," Rehn said.


more:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070428/ts_afp/turkeypoliticsarmyeu_070428091418;_ylt=Asr6AgUstPYHt4ZiUT2AEYqQOrgF

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. Turkish government warns off army

Turkey's Islamist-rooted ruling party has warned the secular military that it is subject to its control after it commented on its choice for president.

"The chief of the general staff is answerable to the prime minister," said justice minister Cemil Cicek.

Mr Cicek said the army's intervention - it vowed to defend secularism - was "inconceivable in a democratic state".
...
"I would like to underline that it is inconceivable in a democratic state based on the rule of law for the general staff, which remains under the orders of the prime minister, to speak out against the government," Mr Cicek told reporters on Saturday.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6603377.stm