ANKARA - Following are the highlights from today`s Turkish daily Sabah. The Anadolu Agency is not responsible of opinions expressed or the context of the editorials and does not vouch for their accuracy.
"Was Abdullah Gul PM Erdogan`s cherished candidate from the day one? It is hard to say `Yes`," writes Sabah`s columnist Muharrem Sarikaya in relation with Gul`s recent nomination as a candidate for president.
According to Sarikaya, PM Erdogan`s swing towards another candidate, while he himself was that close to become president, happened only within a month. Besides, the columnist claims that Gul`s candidacy was brought up in the very last days.
"It is obvious that Turkish parliament speaker Bulent Arinc influenced the decision regarding Gul`s nomination," Sarikaya notes, underscoring that Arinc expressed his determination to resist any other candidate except Gul, during the reception held on April 23rd.
Sarikaya writes that Arinc "blocked the way" for Vecdi Gonul for the second time with such an attempt, just like he previously did during the elections for parliament speakership.
On the other hand, Sarikaya notes that the biggest obstacle before Gul would be "the quorum requesting the presence of 367 MPs during the voting".
The columnist also stresses that Republican People`s Party (CHP) has made clear his position on the issue and it would push for the enforcement of such condition.
"While the True Path Party (DYP) does not intend to participate in the voting, there are two dominant opinions within the Motherland Party (ANAVATAN)," Sarikaya writes.
According to him, as some of the members keep discussing if it is necessary to block the election process and pave the way for an anticipated election, some members believe that an early election will be held if CHP files a case at the Constitutional Court.