AKP calls for early general election in Turkey
<noinclude>
{{date|May 2, 2007}}
[[Image:Abdullah Gül (Brasília, 19.1.2005).jpeg|thumb|right|Abdullah Gül, deputy Prime Minister and foreign minister of Turkey.{{Image source|José Cruz/ABr, 2006}}]]

The ruling party in [[Turkey]] has asked the [[w:Grand National Assembly of Turkey|Grand National Assembly of Turkey]] to approve a general election to take place June 24, 2007. The next general election was scheduled for November.

The [[w:Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|Justice and Development Party]] (AKP), which holds 363 of 550 seats in parliament, apparently feels that it will not be able to achieve [[w:quorum|quorum]] in the vote on its presidential candidate [[w:Abdullah Gül|Abdullah Gül]].  Analysts reportedly project that AKP would fare well in the elections.

Just yesterday, the [[w:Constitutional Court of Turkey|Constitutional Court]] annulled the first round of voting in the [[w:Turkish presidential election, 2007|presidential election]].

[[Image:ERDOGAN3.JPG|left|thumb|Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.{{Image source|[[commons:user:BertilVidet|Bertil Videt]]}}]]
[[w:Prime Minister of Turkey|Prime Minister]] [[w:Recep Tayyip Erdoğan|Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]] called the court's decision "a bullet aimed at democracy... It has made it almost impossible for the parliament to elect a president in the future." He also called for the constitution to be changed so that the president is elected by popular vote, instead of the current method where parliament elects the president. Erdoğan also proposed to change the constitution to allow the president to serve 2 terms of 5 years instead of the current single term of 7 years.

The Turkish [[w:Secularism|pro-secular]] movement first feared that prime minister Erdoğan would run for president. When the ruling AKP chose Abdullah Gül as their candidate instead, they feared that Gül might have a hidden [[Islam]]ic agenda and be a threat to the separation between religion and state in Turkey. But AKP denies such agenda, and Gül has promised to adhere to secularist principles if he would become president. Gül's wife has in the past fiercely defended her right to wear the Islamic headscarf.

Meanwhile, the [[United States]] has joined the [[European Union]] in asking the [[w:Turkish Armed Forces|Turkish Armed Forces]] to stay out of the process.  The military sees itself as the guardian of secular government in Turkey and has toppled the government four times since 1960. 

[[Image:Protect Your Republic Protest - 1 (2007-04-14).jpg|right|thumb|The first rally on April 14 in Ankara.{{Image source|Selahattin Sönmez}}]]
Two pro-secular rallies with several hundred thousand demonstrators took place in April, one in Ankara and the other in Istanbul. National symbols were strongly present during these protests, and people were chanting "Turkey is secular and will remain secular" and "We don't want an imam as president!".

==Related news==
*{{wikinews|title=Turkey's Constitutional Court invalidates first round in presidential elections|date=May 1, 2007}}
*{{wikinews|title=Protests in Turkey over Presidential candidate|date=April 30, 2007}}
*{{wikinews|title=Wikinews Shorts: April 27, 2007|date=April 27, 2007}}
*{{wikinews|title=Turkey's governing party names Abdullah Gül as presidential candidate|date=April 24, 2007}}
*{{wikinews|title=Pro-secular Turks rally against Erdogan's possible presidential candidacy|date=April 15, 2007}}

==Sources==
*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6613805.stm
|title=Turkey party calls for early poll
|author=
|pub=BBC News Online
|date=May 2, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/02/wturkey202.xml
|title=Turkey ruling party calls for early election
|author=
|pub=The Daily Telegraph
|date=May 2, 2007}}
{{wikipediapar|Turkish presidential election, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/05/02/international/i051425D33.DTL&type=politics
|title=Turkish Leadership Seeks Early Elections
|author=Selcan Hacaoglu, AP
|pub=San Francisco Chronicle
|date=May 2, 2007}}

{{publish}}

{{Archived}}
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Elections]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Asia]]
[[Category:Turkey]]
[[Category:Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]]
[[Category:Turkish Grand National Assembly]]
[[Category:Abdullah Gül]]
[[Category:Constitutions (unsorted)]]

[[de:AKP will Neuwahlen – innenpolitische Krise in der Türkei schwelt weiter]]


</noinclude>
Abdullah Gül, deputy Prime Minister and foreign minister of Turkey.

The ruling party in Turkey has asked the Grand National Assembly of Turkey to approve a general election to take place June 24, 2007. The next general election was scheduled for November.

The Justice and Development Party (AKP), which holds 363 of 550 seats in parliament, apparently feels that it will not be able to achieve quorum in the vote on its presidential candidate Abdullah Gül.  Analysts reportedly project that AKP would fare well in the elections.

Just yesterday, the Constitutional Court annulled the first round of voting in the presidential election.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called the court's decision "a bullet aimed at democracy... It has made it almost impossible for the parliament to elect a president in the future." He also called for the constitution to be changed so that the president is elected by popular vote, instead of the current method where parliament elects the president. Erdoğan also proposed to change the constitution to allow the president to serve 2 terms of 5 years instead of the current single term of 7 years.

The Turkish pro-secular movement first feared that prime minister Erdoğan would run for president. When the ruling AKP chose Abdullah Gül as their candidate instead, they feared that Gül might have a hidden Islamic agenda and be a threat to the separation between religion and state in Turkey. But AKP denies such agenda, and Gül has promised to adhere to secularist principles if he would become president. Gül's wife has in the past fiercely defended her right to wear the Islamic headscarf.

Meanwhile, the United States has joined the European Union in asking the Turkish Armed Forces to stay out of the process.  The military sees itself as the guardian of secular government in Turkey and has toppled the government four times since 1960. 

The first rally on April 14 in Ankara.
Two pro-secular rallies with several hundred thousand demonstrators took place in April, one in Ankara and the other in Istanbul. National symbols were strongly present during these protests, and people were chanting "Turkey is secular and will remain secular" and "We don't want an imam as president!".


de:AKP will Neuwahlen – innenpolitische Krise in der Türkei schwelt weiter
Politics and conflicts Elections Europe Asia Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Turkish Grand National Assembly Abdullah Gül Constitutions (unsorted)