"Turkey's presidential vote challenged by opposition
By Suzan Fraser in Ankara
Published: 28 April 2007
The ruling party's presidential candidate failed to win enough votes in a first round of balloting in Parliament yesterday, as opposition parties boycotted the vote and appealed to the Constitutional Court for cancellation of the process.
A second round of voting was scheduled for 2 May, and the candidate, Abdullah Gul, the current Foreign Minister, was likely to prevail by a third round if voting proceeds. But the row over his candidacy, which the opposition views as a threat to the separation of state and religion, has tested Turkey's democracy at a time when it seeks entry into the European Union."
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