(14 Aug 2007)
1. Wide of Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul arriving at news conference
2. Cutaway of media
3. SOUNDBITE: (Turkish) Abdullah Gul, Turkey Foreign Minister:
"After the necessary talks in the party and its organs, I decided to put forward my candidacy to keep the promise that we made in the rallies."
4. Cutaway of cameraman
5. SOUNDBITE: (Turkish) Abdullah Gul, Turkey Foreign Minister:
"Defending secularism is one of my basic principles. Nobody should have to be concerned about it."
6. Cutaway of media
7. SOUNDBITE: (Turkish) Abdullah Gul, Turkey Foreign Minister:
"The reform process is still going on in Turkey. We all know that the reform process is about EU integration and it is compatible with it. The target of full membership of the EU has not just been the mission of recent governments, but of all governments since 1960. I will help the government to reach this target. "
8. Close up of photographer
9. Gul standing up and leaving news conference
STORYLINE:
A Turkish presidential hopeful whose candidacy raised fears about the possible blurring of the line between politics and religion said on Tuesday that his goals would be strengthening secularism and the country's European Union (EU) membership bid.
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul made his statements at a news conference after submitting to parliament his application to run for president, pressing ahead with a candidacy that triggered a political crisis and forced the government to call early elections.
He is almost certain to win the presidency.
The powerful Turkish military and secular parties fear that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's and Gul's Justice and Development Party would use control of both Parliament and the presidency to chip away at the separation of state and religion and put an Islamic stamp on the state by appointing Islamic-minded officials.
Both Gul and Erdogan have rejected the Islamic fundamentalist label, citing their promotion of sweeping reforms as a means of advancing Turkey's European Union bid.
However they have both also actively sought to improve ties with the Islamic world.
On Tuesday Gul was keen to set the record straight.
"Defending secularism is one of my basic principles. Nobody should have to be concerned about it," said Gul.
Gul also emphasised his commitment to gaining EU membership.
"The target of full membership of the EU has not just been the mission of recent governments, but of all governments since 1960," Gul said.
"I will help the government to reach this target," he added.
Erdogan's party won a majority of seats but has failed to secure the two-thirds it will need to approve a presidential candidate alone during the first two rounds of parliamentary voting, which starts next Monday.
But Gul is almost certain to be elected by a simple majority in the third round of voting on August 28 since the Nationalist Action Party pledged to help achieve a necessary quorum to hold the vote.
Although largely ceremonial, the job of president is critical to overall control of the state since the president holds the power to veto legislation and appoints high-level officials, including ambassadors and chief judges to Turkey's top courts.
Gul's candidacy triggered a political crisis months ago, forcing the government to hold early parliamentary elections.
The military has threatened to step into the election process, drawing criticism from the EU and the United States for threatening to interfere with democracy, while the secular Republican People's Party blocked the parliamentary voting.
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