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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Turkish poll crisis goes to court | Turkish poll crisis goes to court |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Turkey's disputed election of a new president - pitting secularists against the ruling Islamist-rooted AK party - has gone to the constitutional court. | Turkey's disputed election of a new president - pitting secularists against the ruling Islamist-rooted AK party - has gone to the constitutional court. |
| The court is now examining a petition from the opposition to cancel the election of a new president. | The court is now examining a petition from the opposition to cancel the election of a new president. |
| As many as one million people marched through Istanbul on Sunday, opposing presidential candidate Abdullah Gul. | As many as one million people marched through Istanbul on Sunday, opposing presidential candidate Abdullah Gul. |
| Turkey's currency has tumbled amid fears the army may block the election of Mr Gul, the foreign minister. | Turkey's currency has tumbled amid fears the army may block the election of Mr Gul, the foreign minister. |
| Mr Gul says there is no question of him withdrawing from the presidential election. | Mr Gul says there is no question of him withdrawing from the presidential election. |
| His wife wears the Islamic headscarf, which remains highly controversial in Turkey. | His wife wears the Islamic headscarf, which remains highly controversial in Turkey. |
| The first round of the election in parliament ended in disarray on Friday amid a dispute about the number of deputies present for the vote. | The first round of the election in parliament ended in disarray on Friday amid a dispute about the number of deputies present for the vote. |
| The secularist Republican People's Party (CHP), which boycotted Friday's vote, said it would challenge the election in court because a quorum of MPs had not been obtained - a charge the AK (or Justice and Development Party) denies. | The secularist Republican People's Party (CHP), which boycotted Friday's vote, said it would challenge the election in court because a quorum of MPs had not been obtained - a charge the AK (or Justice and Development Party) denies. |
| Establishment pressure | Establishment pressure |
| A second round of voting is due on Wednesday and the court has said it will try to rule on the appeal before the vote. | A second round of voting is due on Wednesday and the court has said it will try to rule on the appeal before the vote. |
| The powerful military has said it is ready to act to protect Turkey's separation of religion and state. | The powerful military has said it is ready to act to protect Turkey's separation of religion and state. |
| If the court upholds the CHP position and cancels the presidential election, the ruling would trigger an early general election. | If the court upholds the CHP position and cancels the presidential election, the ruling would trigger an early general election. |
| TURKISH ARMY INTERVENTIONS Coups in 1960, 1971 and 1980 Forced out first Islamist prime minister in 1997 class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=6242&edition=1">Send us your comments | |
| The business elite has called for an early general election to calm the tensions. | The business elite has called for an early general election to calm the tensions. |
| The AK, led by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has an overwhelming majority in parliament. | The AK, led by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has an overwhelming majority in parliament. |
| It has sharply criticised the army threat to intervene in politics, saying the military must remain under civilian control. | It has sharply criticised the army threat to intervene in politics, saying the military must remain under civilian control. |
| Mr Erdogan named Mr Gul as the AK candidate after more than 300,000 secularists rallied in Ankara two weeks ago to prevent Mr Erdogan himself standing. | Mr Erdogan named Mr Gul as the AK candidate after more than 300,000 secularists rallied in Ankara two weeks ago to prevent Mr Erdogan himself standing. |
| The prime minister is due to make a televised address to the nation at 2015 (1715 GMT) on Monday. | The prime minister is due to make a televised address to the nation at 2015 (1715 GMT) on Monday. |
| EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn has said the row is "a clear test case whether the Turkish armed forces respect democratic secularisation and democratic values". | EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn has said the row is "a clear test case whether the Turkish armed forces respect democratic secularisation and democratic values". |
| The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Istanbul says the army statement on Friday night caused a real stir in Turkey. | The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Istanbul says the army statement on Friday night caused a real stir in Turkey. |
| The army has carried out three coups in the last 50 years - in 1960, 1971 and 1980 - and in 1997 it intervened to force Turkey's first Islamist Prime Minister, Necmettin Erbakan, from power. | The army has carried out three coups in the last 50 years - in 1960, 1971 and 1980 - and in 1997 it intervened to force Turkey's first Islamist Prime Minister, Necmettin Erbakan, from power. |
| The AK is an offshoot of Mr Erbakan's Welfare Party, which was banned in 1998. | The AK is an offshoot of Mr Erbakan's Welfare Party, which was banned in 1998. |