Former Islamist Abdullah Gul has been elected president of Turkey following a contest that has split the nation and drawn opposition from the army.
Turkey's new president Abdullah Gul formally took office Tuesday and pledged to uphold his country's secular system shortly after parliament elected him as the first head of state with an Islamist past.
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul was sworn in as Turkey's president on Tuesday despite the objections of a powerful military that fears a creeping subversion of the country's secular order under the former Islamist.
Turkey's parliament on Tuesday elected Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul as the country's president and the former Islamist immediately vowed to uphold the secular system.
CAIRO, Aug. 28 -- Beaming as the votes were counted, a veteran government figure with roots in political Islam won a parliamentary vote to become Turkey's president Tuesday, in defiance of the country's strongly secular military. Abdullah Gul's triumph presented Turkey's generals with a choice:...
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul was elected president by Turkey's parliament on Tuesday, the first former Islamist to take the post in the secular but predominantly Muslim country's modern history.
He's a devout Muslim whose wife wears an Islamic headscarf in a nation where religious attire is banned from government buildings. He is also a champion of reforms needed for Turkey to qualify for European Union membership.
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul was set to be elected Turkey's next president on Tuesday, the first time in the secular but predominantly Muslim country's modern history that the post will go to a former Islamist.
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, a respected former Islamist, won a third round of voting in parliament on Tuesday to become Turkey's next president, a ruling AK Party deputy told Reuters.
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul was expected to be voted in as Turkey's new president Tuesday in what would be a major triumph for his Islamic-rooted government after months of confrontation with the secular establishment.