Abdullah Gül to Wait for Third Ballot

On Friday, the second ballot for the presidential election took place in Ankara, Turkey's capital. There were still three candidates: Abdullah Gül of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), Sabahattin Cakmakoglu of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and Tayfun Icli of the Democratic Left Party (DSP).

Simple majority sufficient in third ballot 

Gül, who received 341 votes in the first ballot, surprisingly got four less in the second round. Because the second ballot still requires a two-thirds majority, he will have to wait until the third ballot on Tuesday, 28 August, when a simple majority of 276 votes will be sufficient.

Cakmakoglu, MP for Kayseri, received 71 votes (70 in the first round) and Icli received 14 (13 in the first round). 24 ballot papers were empty. There were no invalid votes.

Parliament Speaker Köksal Toptan had ensured that a quorum of over 367 MPs was present and the second, secret, ballot took place.

CHP had called for renewed boycott 

The election was boycotted by the Republican People's Party (CHP), independent MP for Rize, Mesut Yilmaz (former Prime Minister), MP for Manisa, Erdogan Yetenc (who has resigned from the CHP), and independent MP for Tunceli, Kamer Genc.

The CHP had called on the MHP and DSP not to enter the assembly but the call had not been heeded. The MHP, DSP and the pro-Turkish Democratic Society Party (DTP) had joined the second ballot, as had Muhsin Yazicioglu of the Great Union Party (BBP) and Ufuk Uras of the Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP).(NZ/AG)