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.

Turkish parliament on Thursday will hold a final vote on a key constitutional amendment to let the public - rather than legislators - elect the president. The Islamic-rooted government pushed the amendment after opposition lawmakers boycotted the process to elect a new president from the ruling party over fears that, if elected, he might help the government to increase the influence of religion on politics and daily life in this secular country.

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.