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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
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| New Turkey president poll fails | New Turkey president poll fails |
| (about 2 hours 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. |
| Mr Gul, the only nominee, withdrew his candidacy after the vote was rendered invalid by an opposition boycott. | Mr Gul, the only nominee, withdrew his candidacy after the vote was rendered invalid by an opposition boycott. |
| Turkey's governing AK party is now expected to focus its attention on early parliamentary elections in July. | Turkey's governing AK party is now expected to focus its attention on early parliamentary elections in July. |
| It is also pushing for the president to be elected directly by the Turkish people, instead of by parliament. | It is also pushing for the president to be elected directly by the Turkish people, instead of by parliament. |
| MPs had also failed to get a quorum in the first round last month, leading that vote to be annulled by the constitutional court. | MPs had also failed to get a quorum in the first round last month, leading that vote to be annulled by the constitutional court. |
| After the first round of the vote was cancelled, Mr Gul's AK party said it had been like "firing a bullet at democracy". | After the first round of the vote was cancelled, Mr Gul's AK party said 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) Q&A: Turkey's crisis Tough test for 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) Q&A: Turkey's crisis 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. | Mr Erdogan also said he wanted the president elected by the people not parliament. |
| On Saturday, thousands of protesters attended rallies in western Turkey to call for Mr Gul, the current foreign minister, 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 current foreign minister, to withdraw and for the secular system to be upheld. |
| The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Istanbul says the key question is who the ruling party will nominate as its new candidate and whether it will seek a compromise figure not associated with political Islam. | The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Istanbul says the key question is who the ruling party will nominate as its new candidate and whether it will seek a compromise figure not associated with political Islam. |
| Deep divisions | Deep divisions |
| Speaking after Sunday's failed vote, Mr Gul said: "After this... my candidacy is out of the question. I don't feel resentment." | Speaking after Sunday's failed vote, Mr Gul said: "After this... my candidacy is out of the question. I don't feel resentment." |
| Parliament had required a quorum of 367 MPs - or two-thirds - for Sunday's vote but was only able to muster 358, Parliamentary Speaker Bulent Arinc said. | Parliament had required a quorum of 367 MPs - or two-thirds - for Sunday's vote but was only able to muster 358, Parliamentary Speaker Bulent 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. |