"Sliding from the secular Aug 29th 2007 From Economist.com Turkey's rigid secularism may fade under Abdullah Gul's presidency Reuters THE selection of Abdullah Gul as Turkey’s president ends four months of political turmoil that began when the country’s meddlesome generals unleashed a campaign to block his candidacy. On Tuesday August 28th, 339 deputies backed Mr Gul, a conservative politician with an Islamist past. This was far above the simple majority required in the 550-member parliament. With the elevation of Mr Gul, who served as foreign minister for four years under the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, the rigid and authoritarian secularism that has defined Turkish politics for over 80 years is set to fade."
More:Turkey's politics | Sliding from the secular | Economist.com