Turkish ruling party warns army

[Enemy_Of_Mad_Mullah]

Turkish ruling party warns army

The army statement is being seen as a call for parliament's dissolution
Turkey's ruling party has criticised an army threat to intervene in politics, saying the military must remain under civilian control.
Party spokesman Cemil Cicek was commenting after the army issued an unusual statement vowing to defend Turkey's secular system.

The army said it was concerned by the Islamist-rooted party's choice for Turkey's next president.

Mr Cicek said any army intervention was "inconceivable in a democratic state".

"The chief of the general staff is answerable to the prime minister," said Mr Cicek, who is also justice minister.

The European Union earlier warned the army, which has carried out coups in the past, not to interfere in politics.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said the controversy was a test case for the military to respect democracy.

The army statement, which was issued after a disputed vote by MPs on a new president on Friday, vowed to defend Turkey's secular system.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has been meeting his cabinet to discuss the situation.

'Inconceivable'

"I would like to underline that it is inconceivable in a democratic state... for the general staff, which remains under the orders of the prime minister, to speak out against the government," Mr Cicek told reporters on Saturday.

PRESIDENTIAL VOTE
President chosen by 550 MPs
Two-thirds majority (367) needed to win in first or second round
Simple majority (276) needed if the contest reaches later rounds
Opposition want vote invalid if under 367 MPs attend
Parliament speaker insists usual quorum of 184 will suffice


Defending the secular 'faith'
Profile: Abdullah Gul

The government, he added, had the "primary duty in protecting the basic tenets of the state".

In the first round of voting, the candidate of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK), Abdullah Gul, narrowly failed to win.

Mr Gul, who is also foreign minister, secured 357 votes - just 10 short of the 367, or two thirds of all deputies needed to win in the first round.

The main secular opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), boycotted the vote and said it would challenge the election in court.

Turkey is an EU candidate but entry negotiations have been partially frozen because of a dispute over Cyprus. The EU is also concerned that Turkey's commitment to political reform is weakening.

The enlargement commissioner said the row was "a clear test case whether the Turkish armed forces respect democratic secularization and democratic values".

History of coups

The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Istanbul says the army statement late on Friday night caused a real stir in Turkey, as it is being seen as a direct warning to the government.

Many also believe that it is also a message to the judges in the constitutional court to declare the vote invalid and dissolve parliament, our correspondent says.

The army has carried out three coups in the last 50 years - in 1960, 1971 and 1980 - and in 1997 it intervened to force Turkey's first Islamist Prime Minister, Necmettin Erbakan, from power.

The AK is an offshoot of Mr Erbakan's Welfare Party, which was banned in 1998.

The CHP says it will challenge the election in court because only 361 MPs were present at the vote, fewer than the 367 it says is required for a quorum. AK says only a third of MPs are required.

A second round of voting is due on Wednesday and the court has said it will try to rule on the appeal before the vote.

[Steeler [Crawler2]]

Everyone in Turkey knows the rules and when the Army is charged to intervene. It's not our system, but it seems to work for them.