ANKARA - Abdullah Gul, a former Islamist, was sworn in as president of secular Turkey Tuesday, shortly after he was elected in a third-round parliamentary vote.
Gul took the oath at a ceremony in parliament, pledging impartiality and loyalty to the country's secular system.
"I swear before the great Turkish nation... to be loyal to democracy and the secular Republic... and to conduct my duty impartially," he said, reading out a text enshrined in the constitution.
08/28/2007 15:05 GMT