Turkey prepares for presidential selection
Turkey's members of parliament are in the process of voting for a new president, a contest widely expected to be won by Abdullah Gul.
The position is a largely symbolic role, although it is nonetheless important as the president of Turkey can choose to veto new legislation, if he wishes.
Mr Gul, currently foreign minister, belongs to the ruling pro-Islam party, prompting fears that his election could represent an erosion of the country's secular principles.
However, the presidential candidate has move to allay fears of abandoning the country's secularist tradition, which was first founded during the 1920s.
According to the Associated Press news agency, Mr Gul told the Milliyet newspaper: "I am loyal to the republic, to secularism, to the principles of a democratic, social state ruled by law, as stated in the constitution in essence."
He added that he would try to be the "president of all citizens", regardless of their point of view.
Turkey's government has committed itself to an overhaul of its financial system and opened itself to foreign investment as it looks to build a sustainable economy for entry into the European Union.
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