TURKEY:A political crisis was looming in Turkey yesterday after pro-secular protesters flooded central Istanbul to demand the resignation of a government they fear is leading Turkey toward Islamic rule.
"No imams in the presidential palace," a crowd of up to one million shouted, just two days after Turkey's ruling party fell 10 parliamentary votes short of electing its candidate for the country's top post.
An affable pro-European, foreign minister Abdullah Gul had widely been seen as an ideal compromise candidate for the post when his name was announced last Tuesday. Turkish markets hit record highs at the news that the more abrasive prime minister, Tayyip Erdogan, would not be standing. Like Mr Erdogan, Mr Gul has his roots in political Islam and a wife who wears the tight-fitting headscarf favoured in conservative circles.
Many Turks remain unconvinced by either man's pro-market, pro-western makeover.
The army heads the list of sceptics, warning within hours after the presidential vote that it would not hesitate to intervene if it felt Turkish secularism was under threat.
"No one should doubt" that the military "will take a position when it becomes necessary", stated the message posted on the chief of general staff's website at midnight on Friday.
The harshest statement made by the military since Turkey's government came to power in 2002, it met with fierce criticism at home and abroad.
"Turkey's clocks went back 27 years this weekend," liberal analyst Ismet Berkan commented, referring to 1980, the most brutal of Turkey's three major coups.
Meanwhile, calls by the European Union this weekend for Turkey's army to respect the rules of democracy were met largely with scorn. If the army has been able to claw back the influence it lost since Turkey began taking serious steps towards EU accession five years ago, analysts say, it is largely because few Turks now believe Europe wants them in.
Despite the controversy surrounding the military's outburst, few are expecting a coup. Military intervention would be a disaster for the Turkish economy, growing fast but still dependent on foreign investment to pay off more than €20 billion of debt.
"Turkey's army fears nobody, apart from the economy," quips analyst Mumtazer Turkone. "It doesn't want to be seen to be responsible for a crash."
Previous secularist street protests had been marred by calls for the army to step in. Today's marchers followed the media in criticising the military's statements, shouting: "no to Sharia, no to a coup."
"All we want is elections, and the president to be chosen by another parliament," said Tayfun Ozbulut (32) who travelled to Istanbul overnight to attend the march.
Under increasing pressure, Mr Gul said yesterday he had no intention of withdrawing his candidacy. He may be forced to this week, however, should Turkey's top court rule that last Friday's vote, boycotted by opposition parties, was invalid.
But many think Mr Gul should not wait for the court's decision.
"Turkey's 22nd government has reached the end of its usefulness," opined an editorial in the centrist daily Milliyet yesterday.