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 ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - The ruling party gave its presidential nomination Tuesday to Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, a leader with Islamic leanings who will have to balance the interests of Turkey's religiously conservative countryside with its secular business and military elite.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared Gul's candidacy to the cheers and applause of party members, whose support in a series of Parliament votes that begin Friday is expected to secure him the post. The job is largely ceremonial, but the president has the power to veto legislation.
The selection followed months of political tension over whether Erdogan himself would run for president, a prospect that infuriated secularists who felt he might use his Islamic credentials to dilute the nation's secular traditions.
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