Gul was selected as a candidate for the Presidential office by
Turkish Prime Minister
Recept Tayyip Erdogan. His selection drew harsh criticism from secularist, who took issue with statements that Gul, a
Sunni Muslim, made during an earlier period in his political career and the fact that his wife
Hayrunnisa Gul wore a headscarf. His candidacy was blocked by the country's Constitutional Court, but with his party winning close to 50% of the popular vote during parliamentary elections in July of
2007, Gul was eventually able to assume the Presidential office.