ANKARA, 14 August 2007 — Turkey’s Islamic-oriented ruling party yesterday decided to nominate Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul again for president despite strong opposition to his candidacy, a party official said.
When Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan proposed Gul as his party’s candidate the last time, it ignited a backlash from the secular opposition, which accused the foreign minister of having an agenda to scrap the secular traditions of the predominantly Muslim nation.
Murat Mercan, a senior party official, confirmed Gul’s candidacy after a party meeting yesterday. “Gul is a statesman who has great experience,” Mercan told private CNN-Turk television. “I believe he would be very successful.”
Gul’s candidacy signals that Erdogan’s party apparently bowed to pressure from grass-root supporters despite serious concerns raised by secular circles about Gul’s candidacy.
It was Gul’s candidacy that triggered a political crisis months ago, forcing the government to hold early parliamentary elections.
The choice of candidate had alarmed the military-backed, secular establishment, which accused the government of seeking unbridled power so it could impose Islamic ways on Turkish society.
Erdogan’s party won a majority of seats in July 22 elections, but it did not secure the two-thirds needed to approve a presidential candidate alone during the first two rounds of parliamentary voting.
However, the president can be elected by a simple majority in the third round of voting if the Parliament secures a quorum of lawmakers necessary for presidential elections. Cihan Pacaci, a senior member of the Nationalist Action Party, reiterated that his party pledged support to reach a quorum to prevent a new political crisis.
“I don’t see a chaos ahead,” Pacaci told private NTV television yesterday.
Still, Gul’s nomination showed that the government could be heading toward another showdown with secularists, including the military. “It is not appropriate to have a president who has problems with the founding philosophy of the Turkish Republic,” Deniz Baykal, leader of the main opposition pro-secular Republican People’s Party, said earlier yesterday.
The job of president is critical to overall control of the state. The post is largely ceremonial, but the incumbent has the power to veto legislative bills and government appointments. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, the current president, often frustrated the government by blocking its initiatives.
Onur Oymen, a senior member of the Republican People’s Party, said Gul’s candidacy amounted to a serious threat to the secular principles of the country.
“Gul’s candidacy was not expected to contribute to peace and stability in the country,” Oymen told NTV television after the decision was announced.
Gul has asked for meetings with opposition leaders today to seek their support, CNN-Turk said. The first round of voting in Parliament is due on Aug. 20.
