Abdullah Gul to run again for president

"The AKP is continuing the confrontation between the religious and the secular camps," writes Adelheid Wölfl commenting on Abdullah Gul's decision to run as a candidate for head of the Turkish state once more. "Gul's candidacy sends a clear message to the military: we won't give in, even if you threaten us with a military coup. This raises a fundamental question for the military: will the army accept a new boss - the president is its commander-in-chief - imposed on it by the parliament against its will? In other words, is the parliament more important [than the army]? That Gul's election to president would strengthen not only the AKP, but also democracy in general, is perhaps not the most important factor for the governing party. For Turkey, curbing the power of the military on a long term basis could hail the dawn of a new era in which people no longer need live in fear of threats and military coups."

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