Turkish presidential hopeful Abdullah Gul pledged today to uphold the country's secular constitution if parliament elects him head of state.
"Protection of secularism is one of my basic principles. Nobody should worry about this," Mr Gul said, adding that he would be a president for all Turks.
Turkey's secular elite fears Mr Gul, an ex-Islamist, will try to chip away at the separation of state and religion if elected president. Parliament will start to elect the president in a series of votes beginning next Monday.