Turkey set for new parliamentary elections within 2 months
"Turkey could host parliamentary elections in less than two months after prime minister Tayyip Erdogan announced that a ballot will take place on either June 24th or July 1st 2007.
The country has been embroiled in a row over the parliament's choice of a new president, with critics from the country's secular background expressing fears that the government will attempt to run Turkey under Islamic law.
Despite assertions that this would not be the case, Mr Erdogan has acted to consult the public and revealed that the constitution might be reformed so that the public vote on election of the president, rather than parliament.
The Associated Press news agency quoted the prime minister as saying: "If we cannot get the parliament to choose a president, we will take this subject to the people and we will find a way to open presidential elections to our people."
Investors reacted positively to the news, with Turkey's markets rising rapidly, according to Bloomberg.
Mehmet Ilgen, a trader with Ata Invest, explained that the decision to go to the polls demonstrates the country's ability to find solutions to problems through democratic news."
< Back to latest news