Word: erdogan
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...Originally nominated in April by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, co-founder with Gul of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), Gul's name on the slate evoked thinly veiled threats of a coup by Turkey's staunchly secularist military. Seeking a public mandate, Erdogan defiantly called early elections and, in what was widely seen as a popular snub to the military, the AKP was swept back into power with a resounding 47% of the vote. Erdogan then pushed ahead with Gul's nomination, despite calls to name a more centrist candidate to stand for a position which...
...nomination of Abdullah Gul for President has renewed concerns that Turkey could be plunged back into the political crisis that triggered early parliamentary elections last month. That crisis pitched the ruling conservative AK Party led by Recep Tayyip Erdogan against the staunchly secular military, which rejected the nomination of Gul, the foreign minister, for the largely ceremonial presidency. The military opposed Gul's initial candidacy on the grounds that it represented a violation of Turkey's founding secularist principles - the fact that Gul's wife, a conservative Muslim, wears a headscarf in public represented a symbol of the Turkish state...
...Erdogan was seen as benefiting from a booming economy, which has grown an average 7% over the past five years, low inflation and a stable currency. His campaign promised more economic, social and political reforms to bring Turkey in line with European Union standards, even though the country's bid for membership in the E.U. has lost much of its momentum amid European opposition...
...Speaking to crowds outside the AKP headquarters in Ankara, hoarse from the campaign trail, Erdogan called the result a victory for Turkey's democracy. He promised to continue with Turkey's E.U. membership drive, told secularist voters that he "understood them too" and, quoting Ataturk, said he would seek national unity...
...Following the dispute in May when Gul, his nominee for President, was blocked, Erdogan has shown conciliatory signs - fielding a more moderate and centrist list of candidates in these elections, for instance. The next test will be his choice for a presidential candidate. Choosing one the secularists approve of would be a big step toward defusing Turkey's current political tensions. But with such an overwhelming mandate of support, Erdogan may be emboldened even further...