Turkey's Constitutional Court is set to rule on whether to cancel the first round of a presidential election that sparked a political crisis. The head of the court, Tulay Tugcu, told reporters the court was planning to announce its verdict later today.
Islamist-leaning Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is the sole candidate to becoming the country's next head of state. The pro-secular opposition has asked the Constitutional Court to suspend the presidential election, fearing Gul may try to implement an Islamist agenda.
The military has threatened to intervene to preserve Turkey's secular traditions.
In a televised address on April 30, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan appealed for national unity.
"Unity, togetherness, solidarity, these are the things we need most," Erdogan said. "We have to reach to sublime kindness together, this is the most important gain for us. We can overcome many problems so long as we treat each other with love. Turkey needs this unity, solidarity and love, free of prejudice."
A Constitutional Court ruling suspending the presidential election would trigger an early parliamentary election.
Meanwhile, Turkish police detained dozens of people taking part in May Day rallies in Istanbul today.
Most of the up to 100 detentions were made when participants in one of two major rallies in the city tried to march on the central Taksim Square in defiance of a ban by city authorities.
Police had blocked roads to prevent people from reaching the site to commemorate a May Day rally there 30 years ago, when unidentified gunmen opened fire on demonstrators, sparking a stampede that left more than 30 people dead.
Copyright (c) 2006. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
Comment and add to the story without registration, but keep the comments meaningful please. Links are not accepted.
