CHP Threatens to Snub Gül

Gül had asked the opposition parties for meetings after his announcement, but the CHP refused to give him an appointment.

Özyürek listed the reasons for their protest as follows:

* The AKP had promised visits, but then announced Gül's candidature without consulting the other parties.

* We had welcomed the way the parliament speaker was elected and had expected the same behaviour for the president.

* According to the constitution, the president has important duties. For such an important position, there needs to be agreement on a candidate.

* Gül's past with the "Milli Görüş" [a nationalist-Islamic movement founded by Erbakan in 1969] overshadows his candidacy. In recent times he has said things such as, "The Republican regime was forced on people", "Turkey has become primitive by writing 'How happy I am to be a Turk' over and over again", "Laicism has damaged Turkey the most as far as moral values are concerned", "You treat a religious army officer like a second-class citizen", "The end of a system has come in Turkey. We will change the laicist system". Someone who makes such comments cannot become president. Such an opponent of the republic threatens the regime.

* The AKP is trying to take revenge from the laicist republic. The process of turning the country into a religious state will be speeded up. (TK/AG)