Gül had asked the opposition parties for meetings after his announcement, but the CHP refused to give him an appointment.
Özyürek listed the reasons for their protest as follows:
* The AKP had promised visits, but then announced Gül's candidature without consulting the other parties.
* We had welcomed the way the parliament speaker was elected and had expected the same behaviour for the president.
* According to the constitution, the president has important duties. For such an important position, there needs to be agreement on a candidate.
* Gül's past with the "Milli Görüş" [a nationalist-Islamic movement founded by Erbakan in 1969] overshadows his candidacy. In recent times he has said things such as, "The Republican regime was forced on people", "Turkey has become primitive by writing 'How happy I am to be a Turk' over and over again", "Laicism has damaged Turkey the most as far as moral values are concerned", "You treat a religious army officer like a second-class citizen", "The end of a system has come in Turkey. We will change the laicist system". Someone who makes such comments cannot become president. Such an opponent of the republic threatens the regime.
* The AKP is trying to take revenge from the laicist republic. The process of turning the country into a religious state will be speeded up. (TK/AG)
