Islamist wont run

last updated 8 January 2015

Ankara

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan delighted secularists this week when he said he would not run for president. Over the past few months, tens of thousands of Turks have demonstrated against an Erdogan candidacy, fearing that the onetime strict Islamist would try to introduce Muslim practices, such as segregation of the sexes or a ban on alcohol. Erdogan said Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul would run instead. The Turkish president is picked by parliament, which is dominated by Erdogan and Gul’s governing AK Party, so whoever stands from that party is a shoo-in. Gul is seen as more moderate than Erdogan—although his wife wears a head scarf, which is becoming more common among middle-class Turks.