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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Turkey fails again to pick leader | Turkey fails again to pick leader |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Turkey's parliament has failed for a second time to elect the Islamist-rooted governing party's candidate for president, Abdullah Gul. | Turkey's parliament has failed for a second time to elect the Islamist-rooted governing party's candidate for president, Abdullah Gul. |
| Not enough MPs were present for the election to be valid, Speaker Bulent Arinc said after an initial count. | Not enough MPs were present for the election to be valid, Speaker Bulent Arinc said after an initial count. |
| After the session, Mr Gul, current Turkish Foreign Minister, said he was withdrawing from the race. | After the session, Mr Gul, current Turkish Foreign Minister, said he was withdrawing from the race. |
| MPs had failed to get a quorum in the first round, leading that vote to be annulled by the constitutional court. | MPs had failed to get a quorum in the first round, leading that vote to be annulled by the constitutional court. |
| 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. | 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". 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, called for an early election for 22 July, and proposed electoral reforms. | 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 and Mr Gul said he would win easily if that were the case. | 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. |
| Deep divisions | Deep divisions |
| 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. | 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. |
| The AK holds 350 seats in parliament. | The AK holds 350 seats in parliament. |
| 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. |