Former Islamist Abdullah Gul withdrew his candidacy for Turkey's presidency on Sunday after pressure from the military and demonstrators who accuse his ruling party of subverting the nation's secular order.
Former Islamist Abdullah Gul withdrew his candidacy for Turkey's presidency on Sunday, bowing to pressure from the military and demonstrators who accuse his ruling party of subverting the nation's secular order.
The sole candidate in Turkey's presidential election, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, officially withdrew his name Sunday after parliament failed for a second time to vote him into office.
Former Islamist Abdullah Gul withdrew his candidacy for Turkey's presidency on Sunday in a move that could ease a crisis in the secular state, after his party failed to gain a quorum in parliament to elect him.
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has withdrawn from the race to be Turkey's president after supporters were unable to gather the necessary two-thirds quorum in the parliament for a vote on his candidacy.
The Islamic-rooted government suffered another setback Sunday when parliament failed again to reach a quorum to elect its presidential candidate. Turkish troops killed two separatist Kurdish rebels in a clash in southern Turkey, the state news agency reported.
Turkey's foreign minister said he was withdrawing from the presidential race Sunday, after Parliament failed again to reach a quorum in voting that pitted the secular establishment against his religious-oriented party, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported.
Former Islamist Abdullah Gul on Sunday withdrew his candidacy for Turkey's presidency after his party failed to gain a quorum in parliament to vote him into the post, in a move that could ease a crisis in the secular state.
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- Turkey's foreign minister withdrew his candidacy for presidential elections after Parliament failed to reach a quorum Sunday needed to elect a new president, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported.
Turkey's controversial presidential candidate Abdullah Gul said on Sunday he would withdraw from the race if his Islamist-rooted AK Party failed to secure quorum in parliament.