"TURKISH PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION TRIGGERS POWER STRUGGLE WITHIN AK PARTY
By Gareth Jenkins
Friday, August 3, 2007
Debates over its candidate for the forthcoming presidential elections appear to have triggered a power struggle within Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
Under Turkish law, the president is elected by parliament. With 341 seats in Turkey’s 550 member unicameral assembly, the AK Party can virtually appoint its own candidate provided it can ensure a sufficient number of opposition deputies participate in the vote to secure the legally required quorum of two-thirds of the members of parliament. On July 26, the Turkish media quoted Devlet Bahceli, whose opposition Nationalist Action Party (MHP) has 70 seats in parliament, as stating that the party would participate in any presidential vote (EDM, July 26)"
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