ANKARA - Abdullah Gul, a presidential candidate from the ruling Justice & Development (AK) Party, won 341 votes, while Sabahattin Cakmakoglu, a candidate from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), got only 70 votes. Tayfun Icli, the candidate of the Democratic Left Party (DSP), gained 13 votes in the first round of presidential election.
Thus, none of the candidates won 367 votes, required to be elected the new president, in the first round.
The second round will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Friday (August 24th).
-MPs WHO JOINED FIRST ROUND-
The Republican People`s Party (CHP) MPs were not present in the first round of the ballot; while Muhsin Yazicioglu, the chairman of the Grand Unity Party (BBP); Ufuk Uras, an MP from the Freedom & Democracy Party (ODP); and independent MPs Hamit Geylani, Mesut Yilmaz and Seyit Eyyupoglu joined the general assembly.
MPs from the MHP, DSP and Democratic Society Party (DTP) also participated in the first round.
Independent MPs Erdogan Yetenc and Kamer Genc were not in the general assembly hall during the vote.
Eighteen ministers, including PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan and presidential candidate Abdullah Gul, were present in the first round of vote.