Abdullah Gül was elected as Turkey's president by its parliament today winning 399 votes to a combined 83 votes for his other two rivals.
On the eve of the elections the Turkey military published a declaration stating that, ""our nation has been watching the behaviour of centres of evil who systematically try to corrode the secular nature of the Turkish Republic." In its publication the military made certain threats stating that, ""The military will, just as it has so far, keep its determination to guard social, democratic and secular Turkey."
Still, newspapers such as the UK's Independent state, "and while most observers predict some tension between the country's military on the one hand, and the presidency and government on the other, there is no sign that the army will seek to overthrow what has been by any standards a formidable series of democratic triumphs by the AKP under Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan."
Reuters reported that the military leadership stayed away from the inauguration ceremony, and that there were a few hundred secularists protesting in front of the presidential palace chanting, ""Turkey is secular and will remain secular". Conversely, in Gül's hometown of Kayseri Reuters reported that thousands took to the streets to celebrate.
For his part, Gül stressed that, "The Turkish Republic is a democratic, secular, social state, governed by the rule of law. I will always be determined and resolved to advocate, without discrimination, each of these principles and to further strengthen them at every opportunity," and added, ""secularism, one of the main principles of our republic, is a precondition for social peace as much as it is a liberating model for different lifestyles."
In the UK's Telegraph an opinion piece states that, "Mr Gul is a moderate Islamist who, as the architect of Turkey's attempts to join the European Union, seeks close ties with the West, not friction. Indeed he is precisely the kind of democratically elected Islamic leader the West should encourage, which is why Brussels is being short-sighted in persisting with its delaying tactics over Turkish entry. Pakistan under General Pervez Musharraf is a good example of how a military dictatorship can exacerbate, rather than resolve, a nation's political difficulties. It would be a serious blow to Western interests in the region if Turkey were to suffer the same fate."
Wrote Macintyre of The Independent, "But Mr Gul - whose new office extends beyond the ceremonial as it has powers of veto beside those of appointing judges and the constitutional court, and titular oversight of the army - is expected to allow through a series of AKP reform plans which have - or would have - been vetoed by his staunchly secularist predecessor, Ahmet Necdet Sezer.
"These could include an as yet unfinalised blueprint for changes to the constitution as well as legislation to assist the AKP's ambition for Turkish accession to the EU. Although hopes of a negotiated agreement have recently faded, they have been modestly lifted by French Prime Minister Nicolas Sarkozy appearing to soften his outright opposition to Turkish membership on Monday."
He ended his article with quotes from a range of Turkish citizens:
"They want to keep their power" said Murat Gular, 27 of the critics. "But they have failed. I am very happy that [Abdullah Gul] is President. He represents the real Turkey. We are a Muslim society. What's wrong with that?"
Most women here yesterday wore headscarves, similar to Mr Gul's wife, Hayrunisa, below. Havva Duger, 19, complained she would have to shed hers to attend university. "I think [Mr Gul]is a decent person and I trust him. I don't think the election was about religion, and I don't think he is against secularism."
Staunch secularists like taxi driver Kirksal Gular, 40, were having none of this. "I am very against Gul," he said. "I am a Kemalist. Turkey will not become Iran, but I think there is something dark about him if you look into his background." In the middle-class Cankaya Mall, Nigar Ozturk, 71, was cheered by Monday's army statement denouncing "centres of evil" undermining secularism. "I think he will impose religion and that should be a matter only between people and God."
Suna Akchac, 54, acknowledged an improving economy, but was concerned that "the position of women could be thrown backwards". But her sister Suzan Akyuz, 64 - her head uncovered - disagreed. "We have to accept the realities of Turkey. Many people are not religious but they are traditional. The mothers of many soldiers who have been killed wear headscarves. What matters is not what's on your head but what's in it."
("Turkey elects former Islamist Abdullah Gul to presidency despite secularist opposition" Donald Macintyre, The Independent UK August 29,2007)
("Gul sworn in as Turkey president" Hidir Goktas and Paul de Bendem, Reuters August 28, 2007)
("Give Gul a chance" Telegraph UK, August 29, 2007)
