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Turkish army issues new warning | Turkish army issues new warning |
(30 minutes later) | |
Turkey's powerful armed forces chief has warned that "centres of evil" are trying to undermine the secular state. | Turkey's powerful armed forces chief has warned that "centres of evil" are trying to undermine the secular state. |
Gen Yasar Buyukanit did not name those who were "trying to corrode the secular nature of the Turkish Republic". | Gen Yasar Buyukanit did not name those who were "trying to corrode the secular nature of the Turkish Republic". |
His statement comes a day before MPs are expected to elect Abdullah Gul, a former Islamist, as president. His candidacy remains highly controversial. | His statement comes a day before MPs are expected to elect Abdullah Gul, a former Islamist, as president. His candidacy remains highly controversial. |
The army sees itself as the guardian of Turkey's secularism. It has ousted four governments in the past 60 years. | The army sees itself as the guardian of Turkey's secularism. It has ousted four governments in the past 60 years. |
This is the second warning issued by the army in recent months. | |
In April, it expressed its concern after Mr Gul - the ruling Islamist-rooted AK Party candidate - only marginally failed to gain enough support from MPs to become president in a first round. | |
Abdullah Gul has pledged to respect Turkey's institutions | |
The following stand-off between the AKP and secularist parties in parliament sparked a political crisis that led to early elections in July. | |
The AKP won those polls convincingly, and again nominated Mr Gul, currently the foreign minister, for the post of president. | |
Mr Gul - who has failed to gather enough votes in the first two rounds - is expected to be elected in the third round on Tuesday. | Mr Gul - who has failed to gather enough votes in the first two rounds - is expected to be elected in the third round on Tuesday. |
Turkey's military and secular establishment have voiced their opposition to Mr Gul, a devout Muslim who, they believe, has an Islamist agenda. | Turkey's military and secular establishment have voiced their opposition to Mr Gul, a devout Muslim who, they believe, has an Islamist agenda. |
Mr Gul denies that, and has vowed to remain loyal to the country's secular constitution. | Mr Gul denies that, and has vowed to remain loyal to the country's secular constitution. |