Erdogan in move to use election to end Turkey stalemate

TURKEY'S prime minister Tayyip Erdogan yesterday proposed holding an early parliamentary election on 24 June to end a standoff between his Islamist-rooted government and the secular elite over the country's political direction.

Mr Erdogan acted a day after Turkey's highest court ruled that the first round of the presidential poll was invalid, a defeat for his ruling AK Party that he called "a bullet aimed at democracy". The party's presidential candidate, foreign minister Abdullah Gul, is a former Islamist.

"We made a decision which will end all of the controversies and give the word to the nation. Our dear nation will present its preference of the future," Mr Erdogan said.

The AK Party has proposed bringing forward the parliamentary election to 24 June from 4 November. Mr Erdogan is expected to win a second term after five years of strong growth since his party came to power.

The AK Party will also propose that in future the president be elected by popular vote, not by parliament.

Deniz Baykal, leader of the secularist opposition Republican People's Party, said it was too late for this parliament to overhaul the constitution.

Mehmet Ali Birand, a leading commentator, said: "This is a fundamental power struggle. Erdogan is saying 'OK, you're using everything in order to stop me, then I am going to the public and I will ask them [what they want]'."

A threat by the army, which regards itself as the guardian of Turkey's secular system, to intervene in the presidential poll, an opposition boycott of the first round vote in parliament and an anti-government rally sharply increased tension.

The opposition boycotted last week's presidential vote and said there were not enough deputies in parliament to make it valid. Mr Gul is the only candidate.

Secularists fear once the AK Party controls the presidency it will chip away at the republic's secular principles.