Turkish press hesitant over Gul

The nomination of the Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul for president does not faze commentators in the Turkish press, who say he was the inevitable choice of the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Several pundits adopt a wait-and-see approach, and promise to follow Mr Gul's moves towards the presidential palace, the Cankaya, very closely.

One writer in the centre-right daily Hurriyet protests that Mr Gul's background, and his wife's Islamic dress code, are against the secular nature of the state.

YAVUZ DONAT IN SABAH

No surprises from the Cankaya. What was expected to happen became reality. In any case, this was a requirement of practical politics.

RUSEN CAKIR IN VATAN

The next few days, especially the messages sent out by Gul when he visits the other political parties, are very important. It should not be forgotten that every step taken by Gul will be closely watched not only by those who do not like him, but also by those who do want to see him in the Cankaya. And especially by Prime Minister [Tayyip] Erdogan.

MURAT YETKIN IN RADIKAL

At the moment, Gul seems to be the only candidate of the AKP for the presidency. But it is almost certain that he will not receive support from the [other political parties] CHP, MHP, DSP and probably not the DTP. Despite this, he might well be elected the 11th president in the third round of elections to be held on 28 August.

HASAN CEMAL IN MILLIYET

The AKP's nomination of Abdullah Gul... is a development that did not surprise me and which I supported from the very beginning as a requirement of democracy.

OZDEMIR INCE IN HURRIYET

Abdullah Gul's election to the Cankaya is against the nature of the secular public sphere. And his wife's headscarf cannot be separated from Abdullah Gul's identity and personality.

SAHIN ALPAY IN ZAMAN

Democracy is not a system which says: "We received the most votes, so we can do whatever we want and elect whomever we desire". It is the government of the majority, but also a regime where problems are handled by consensus. The election of a new president by a wide consensus... will mean that AKP will embrace all the people, not only its supporters. This opportunity should not be wasted.

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