Abdullah Gul was elected President of Turkey after the third round of parliamentary voting on August 28, 2007. His past support of Islamic policies made him the source of serious controversy amongst secularist groups within the country.
Rock the Vote
Gul's Justice and Development Party (AKP) had recently won a distinct majority in the 2007 parliamentary elections and controlled more than half of the seats.Adam Carr's Election Archive: 2007 Turkish Legislative Election Results He relied upon the AKP dominance to win the presidential vote despite the Islamist/[[Secularism|secularist controversy surrounding him.
Missing Generals
Top army generals ardently support of Turkish secularism and boycotted the parliamentary session.International Herald Tribune: Turkish foreign minister wins presidency, in victory for Islamic-rooted government (August 28, 2007) This has led some to worry that a military coup may be forthcoming.
References
Fast Facts
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Born
October 19, 1950 in Kayseri, Turkey
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Political party
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Sworn in shortly after results were announced
