Gul Fell Short of Presidency at First Round

Abdullah Gul, ruling AKP's controversial candidate for presidency got 341 votes and fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to conclude the election in the first round of the presidential election at 3pm this afternoon. 

The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) candidate Sabahattin Çakmakoğlu got 70 and Democratic Left Party (DSP) candidate Tayfun Icli got 13 votes.

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) boycotted the election and its member MPs didn't show up for the assembly.  

The second round of elections will be held on August 24 and only on the third round a simple majority of 276 will be enough to elect the new president of the Turkish state. Gul is expected to have a comfortable win at the third round.

ÖDP and DTP attend 

Ufuk Uras, the single MP for the Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP), has denounced this boycott as "anti-democratic". Uras will attend the elections but not vote for Gül.

The pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) will also join the ballot but not support Abdullah Gül, arguing that he is not taking the Kurdish question seriously enough.

Gul's candidacy had gained strong opposition by the Turkish army commanders who questioned Gul's adherence to the secularist regime for his past political stance. Gul was one of the leaders of Turkey's political Islamist movement who urged for replacing the present regime with an Islamic republic. 

Under pressure from the armed forces, Constitutional Court, in late April decided, upon the appeal by the main opposition CHP (Republican People's Party)  that the parliament had to convene at least with 367 deputies for opening the presidential elections.

The AKP having failed to elect Gul as president, called for general elections, which brought AKP 340 deputies. The ultra-nationalist Nationalist Movement Party  (MHP) with 70 seats declared that they would be present at the sitting thus opening the way for Gul's election. (NZ/AG)