Turkey's foreign minister Abdullah Gul won most votes in the first round of a presidential election today, but fell just short of securing a two-thirds majority needed to become the country's first president with an Islamist past.
Abdullah Gul is expected to be elected after today's vote
Mr Gul is expected to finally defeat his two nationalist and leftist rivals in a third round of voting in parliament on August 28, when he needs just a simple majority to win.
Turkey's powerful military and secular elite blocked his first bid to become head of state in April because of his Islamist past, triggering a parliamentary election in July which was intended to defuse the crisis over the presidency.
Mr Gul's centre-right pro-business AK Party has been strengthened by its convincing election win but is short of the two-thirds majority in parliament needed for him to be elected president in the first or second round of voting.
The presidency has traditionally been held by the secular elite and a former Islamist has never been elected president. Victory for Mr Gul (56), would complete the AK Party's capture of all key posts in Turkey's political hierarchy.
Mr Gul secured 341 votes in the 550-seat chamber, with no other party supporting him. Quorum was achieved, validating the vote despite a boycott by the largest opposition and staunchly secular Republican People's Party.
Prime minister Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the result and was upbeat that the next round on August 24th would go well.
Turkey's financial markets had been troubled by the dispute that derailed Gul's first election bid, but are now more focused on volatility in global markets because Gul's eventual victory is widely regarded as a foregone conclusion.