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Source: The Guardian

Gul elected as Turkish president

Mark Tran and agencies
Tuesday August 28, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

The Turkish parliament today elected the foreign minister,
Abdullah Gul, as president, making him the first former
Islamist to hold the post.

Mr Gul had failed in the previous two round of voting when
a two-thirds majority was needed. This time, only a simple
majority was required - and the presidency was his after
he received 339 votes in the 550-seat chamber.

As the president, Mr Gul has the power to veto legislation.
He has failed to allay secularist fears that he would sign
into law any legislation passed by the government of the
prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan - a close ally -
without concern for the separation of religion and politics.

Distrusted by the military because of his Islamist past,
56-year-old Mr Gul has promised to uphold secularism.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/turkey/story/ ... 1,00.ht...

Good news!
Rebuild the caliphate. One brick at a time!

Good news. Now, Gul has to Islamize Turkey, change the secular constitution to an Islamic one, and isolate the corrupt seculars.

Lacag and Arab,

Thanks to the Turks the Islamic empire was destroyed and you expect them
to rebuild the caliphate???...Not to mention M. Ataturk???

But on a positive note for more than 80-90 yrs
its the first time that a hijabified woman enters
the presidntial place as the first lady in turkey.

Attaturk wuxu ah nin Yahuud.

Gul and Erdogans first mission lift the law that bans women to wear veils in public office and universities

[Gul and Erdogans first mission lift the law that bans women to wear veils in public office and universities]

Agreed. They should also ban the sale and consumption of alcohol.

well done to Gul!

once again the hypocrisy and double standard of the west spoke volume above all the hullabaloo surounding the first lady's hijab.

Arabman That is the first time you agreed something with me

COSTA, there are few times that you make sense. You could increase those "few" to "several" and "more."

*Arabman and Lacageylacag


Gul promised that Turkey would remain Secular. How much will change?

I doubt we'll see any political changes in Turkey. For the last 5 years as foreign minister, Gul has done nothing to indicate he will move away from secularism. In fact, he has been a strong supporter of secularism in his actions.

[Gul promised that Turkey would remain Secular. How much will change?]

Workaround.

Gul and his party cannot do anything to change secualrism, it is ingrained.
They will work towards undermining the power of the army, and slowly chipping away at them.

The process of weakening the political power of the army will take decades,

wehn they do that , Turkey will again be the center of the muslim world,
and we should give it our alliegance if it becomes a muslim ruled state.

On a more serious note, the Turkish military controls the country and the political system, not parliament. If Gul and Erdogan touch the nation's secular pillars, they will be executed for treason.

Freedom does not exist in Turkey, and it will not until the military changes.