Turkey cancels presidential elections

Updated 13.56 Wed May 09 2007

Keywords: crisis, election, Abdullah Gul, Foreign Minister, Islamist, Turkey

Turkey's forthcoming presidential election, which triggered a major political crisis last week, has been officially halted by the country's parliament.

The move has forced Turkey's Islamist-centered government to call early national polls.

"As there is no presidential candidate, there is no possibility of electing a president. For this reason, the voting has been cancelled" - Nevzat Pakdil

The parliament accepted Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul's petition to withdraw from the presidential contest, in which he was the only candidate.

It became inevitable that Mr Gul would back out after he failed to win enough backing from the assembly in two rounds of voting.

In Turkey, parliament elects the president for a seven-year term.

"As there is no presidential candidate, there is no possibility of electing a president. For this reason, the voting has been cancelled," parliament's deputy speaker Nevzat Pakdil told the chamber in televised remarks.

A new parliament will now choose a president after the July 22 general election.

Turkey's secular elite, including opposition parties, top judges and army generals, had been determined to block Mr Gul's election.

They feared the ex-Islamist might try to undermine Turkey's separation of state and religion, a claim he and his ruling AK Party strongly deny.