Abdullah Gul Elected 11th President Of Turkey

ANKARA - Abdullah Gul, a presidential candidate from the Justice & Development (AK) Party, was elected the 11th president of Turkey on Tuesday.
Gul won 339 votes, while Sabahattin Cakmakoglu, a candidate from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), got 70 votes and Tayfun Icli, a candidate from the Democratic Left Party (DSP), gained 13 votes in the third round of voting at the parliament.

-GUL'S BIOGRAPHY-
Abdullah Gul was born in central Anatolian city of Kayseri on October 29th, 1950.
Graduating from Istanbul University with a Bachelor's Degree in economics in 1971, Gul received his Ph.D. Degree from the same university in 1983. During his graduate studies, he also attended programs in Exter and London for two years. Following his return to Turkey, Gul participated in the foundation process of Sakarya University's Industrial Engineering Faculty and taught economics at this faculty between 1980-1983.
Gul who worked as an economist at the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) from 1983 to 1991, was elected an MP from the Welfare Party (RP) in 1991 and resigned from his position at IDB.
Between 1992 and 2001, Gul served as a member of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council Europe (PACE), as well as a member of Committee on Culture & Education and Political Committee of PACE.
In 2001, Gul was presented with "Pro Merito Medal" of the Council of Europe and became Honourary Associate of PACE.
Gul, who was appointed as the Deputy Chairman of RP in charge of Foreign Affairs in 1993, was reelected MP in 1995 and became a member of the Foreign Affairs Commission.
He served as a Minister of State and Government Spokesman between 1996 and 1997, during the assignment of Turkey's 54th government.
Being elected a deputy from the Virtue Party (FP) in 1999 for the third term, Gul acted as the Founding Board Member of AK Party in August 2001, following the closure of FP.
During the early elections held on November 3rd, 2002, Gul was elected once more an MP, and he was nominated Prime Minister-designate in charge of founding the 58th government.
Gul was appointed the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs in March, 2003 and he has been carrying out this post since then.
Abdullah Gul was elected MP for the fifth term in July 22nd elections.
Gul, who is married with three children, speaks English and Arabic fluently.