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Turkey retries presidential vote Turkey fails again to pick leader
(about 1 hour later)
Turkey's parliament is to meet soon for a second attempt to elect a new president, a day after thousands called for the only candidate to be withdrawn. Turkey's parliament has failed for a second time to elect the Islamist-rooted governing party's candidate for president, Abdullah Gul.
The protest was the third this month to be organised by supporters of Turkey's secular constitution, who object to Islamist Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. Not enough MPs were present for the election to be valid, Speaker Bulent Arinc said after an initial count.
An opposition boycott in the first round led to Mr Gul failing to win a majority and the vote being annulled. After the session, Mr Gul, current Turkish Foreign Minister, said he was withdrawing from the race.
Mr Gul said he would withdraw if MPs failed to elect him on Sunday. MPs had failed to get a quorum in the first round, leading that vote to be annulled by the constitutional court.
The ruling AK party said the ruling was like "firing a bullet at democracy". KEY DATES 2 May: Ruling party requests early elections6 May: Suggested first re-run of parliamentary election for president16 May: President Ahmet Necdet Sezer's term ends22 July: Likely date for early general election (currently set for November) class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/6615627.stm">Q&A: Turkey's crisis class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/6617223.stm">Tough test for democracy
The party's leader, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, reacted by calling an early election for 22 July, and by proposing a series of electoral reforms. On Saturday, thousands of protesters attended rallies in western Turkey to call for Mr Gul, the only candidate in the election, to withdraw and for the secular system to be upheld.
After the first round of the vote was cancelled, Mr Gul's AK party reacted by saying it had been like "firing a bullet at democracy".
The party's leader, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, called for an early election for 22 July, and proposed electoral reforms.
He said he wanted the president to serve up to two five-year terms, instead of one seven-year term, and for parliament's term to last four years instead of five.He said he wanted the president to serve up to two five-year terms, instead of one seven-year term, and for parliament's term to last four years instead of five.
Mr Erdogan also said he wanted the president elected by the people not parliament. Mr Erdogan also said he wanted the president elected by the people not parliament and Mr Gul said he would win easily if that were the case.
On Saturday, Mr Gul said he would win easily if that were the case.
Deep divisionsDeep divisions
Following the ruling by Turkey's constitutional court that a quorum of two-thirds of the 550 lawmakers had not been present on 27 April, the first round will be re-run on Sunday at 1100 (0800 GMT). Parliament had required a quorum of 367 MPs - or two-thirds - for Sunday's vote but was only able to muster 358, Mr Arinc said.
Mr Gul requires a two-thirds majority - 367 votes - to be elected president in the first round. His party hold 350 seats in parliament. The AK holds 350 seats in parliament.
KEY DATES 2 May: Ruling party requests early elections6 May: Suggested first re-run of parliamentary election for president16 May: President Ahmet Necdet Sezer's term ends22 July: Likely date for early general election (currently set for November) Q&A: Turkey's crisis Tough test for democracy
If he fails to gain opposition support, the foreign minister will need the same majority in a second round vote on 9 May.
However, if the election goes to a third round on 12 May, Mr Gul will only require 276 votes to win.
The row over the presidency has exposed deep divisions in Turkey.The row over the presidency has exposed deep divisions in Turkey.
The army, which has long regarded itself as the guardian of the country's secular constitution, has voiced its opposition to Mr Gul's candidacy.The army, which has long regarded itself as the guardian of the country's secular constitution, has voiced its opposition to Mr Gul's candidacy.
It believes Mr Gul has an Islamist agenda, an allegation he denies. He has pledged to adhere to the republic's secular principles if he were elected.It believes Mr Gul has an Islamist agenda, an allegation he denies. He has pledged to adhere to the republic's secular principles if he were elected.
Mr Gul's promise was not enough, however, to stop further protests by tens of thousands of secular Turks against his candidacy in the towns of Manisa and Canakkale on Saturday.Mr Gul's promise was not enough, however, to stop further protests by tens of thousands of secular Turks against his candidacy in the towns of Manisa and Canakkale on Saturday.
Earlier demonstrations in Ankara and Istanbul drew more than a million.Earlier demonstrations in Ankara and Istanbul drew more than a million.
The term of the current president, Ahmet Necdet Sezer, finishes on 16 May.The term of the current president, Ahmet Necdet Sezer, finishes on 16 May.