Nearly nine decades after Mustafa Kemal Ataturk founded the secular republic of Turkey, a conservative Muslim Abdullah Gul has been elected president.

The Turkish Parliament has held a second round of presidential voting, and leading candidate Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul failed to obtain the two-thirds majority needed for victory.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to pursue reforms and turn Turkey into a modern democracy after his ruling Justice and Development (AK) party won early parliamentary elections on July 22.

Millions of Turks are voting today in early parliamentary elections which are being seen as crucial to Turkey's future political and social direction. The ruling pro-reform, Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) is seen as likely to win a fresh mandate, but strong gains by nationalist and secularist opposition parties could slash its majority and result in slower reforms.

Turkish voters head to the polls on July 22 to elect a new parliament, in what some commentators are calling a "watershed" moment for the nation of 70 million. In many ways, this election will be the ultimate test of Turkey's maturity as a modern democracy.

Turkey's president has vetoed a constitutional amendment that would have allowed the direct election of the president, instead of by parliament. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer rejected the amendment as expected Friday.

Turkey's foreign minister Abdullah Gul in an interview with VOA denied opposition charges that his Justice and Development Party is seeking a greater role for Islam in the government. He was speaking just days after he withdrew his candidacy to become Turkey's new president because of a legal challenge mounted by his pro-secular opponents.

The Turkish parliament's constitutional committee says early general elections should be held July 22 in an effort to resolve the standoff with secularists over the selection of a new president.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has submitted a formal proposal to parliament to hold early general elections on June 24, answering an opposition call to disband the current parliament and hold a new vote.

Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has appealed for national unity in the row that has erupted over the disputed election of a new president.
He said an "atmosphere of stability and tranquillity" was essential.

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.

A massive demonstration in Istanbul in support of secularism has highlighted the strong emotions surrounding the parliamentary election of Turkey's next president. Up to 1 million people rallied in Istanbul on April 29.