ANKARA - The Turkish parliament on Friday approved a timetable for voting in fresh presidential elections, setting the first round for August 20.
Under the plan drawn up by the parliament's advisory board, the second round is scheduled for August 24, the third for August 28 and the final and fourth round for September 1.
With the approval of the timetable, candidates for the post can now put themselves forward until midnight August 19.
Turkey found itself in a deep crisis earlier this year after a secularist campaign blocked Prime Minister Recep Erdogan's Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) from electing one of its own as president.
The secularist opposition boycotted two parliamentary votes in April and May, robbing the house of the quorum required to hold a presidential vote, on the grounds that the AKP's candidate, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, is not truly committed to Turkey's secular system.
The crisis climaxed when the army said it was ready to defend the secular system and millions took to the streets to protest against the prospect of a president from the AKP which many fear wants to install an Iranian-style regime in mainly Muslim Turkey.
The AKP which has disowned its Islamist roots, denies the charges.
The crisis forced Erdogan to hold hold snap legislative elections on July 22 in which the AKP won a landslide victory to govern Turkey for a second five-year term.
Erdogan has said that he will seek a compromise with other parties on the presidential choice this time, but has insisted that the candidate must have to come from his party.
Gul has indicated that he could run for the presidency again.
But AKP sources and newspaper reports said Wednesday that the party was divided over whether or not to renominate him on fears that such a move would revive tensions with secularist forces and the military.
08/10/2007 14:30 GMT