The Turkey verdict

Turkey8217;s ruling AK party has come back to power with a resounding victory, winning 46.5 of the vote.

Turkey8217;s ruling AK party has come back to power with a resounding victory, winning 46.5 of the vote.

The result is being seen as a personal triumph for Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, who called for early polls after losing a battle with the establishment which did not want his foreign minister Abdullah Gul as President. Both Erdogan and Gul are seen as too Islamist

TAYYIP ERDOGAN AK

Erdogan 53, is leader of the centre-right Justice and Development Party or the AK Party. He has presided over strong economic growth and the historic launch of EU membership talks since becoming premier in 2003. But Erdogan is deeply distrusted by the secular elite because of his Islamist past. His wife Emine wears a headscarf.

FOREIGN MINISTER ABDULLAH GUL AK

Gul 56, has earned international respect as an architect of Turkey8217;s EU membership bid. Though he is seen as more polished than Erdogan, his wife too, wears the headscarf.

CHP LEADER DENIZ BAYKAL

Baykal, 69, is leader of the Opposition8212;the staunchly secular Republican People8217;s Party CHP. The CHP won 21 of the votes. It was founded in 1924 by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

MHP LEADER DEVLET BAHCELI

Head of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party MHP, Bahceli 59 has called for an army incursion into north Iraq to crush Kurdish rebels and for the restoration of death penalty. MHP won 14 of the votes.

What The victory means

RELIGION: The AK Party wants to ease restrictions on religious symbols and expression, including the Islamic headscarf. Turkey8217;s powerful secular elite, including army generals, resist such reforms.

Story continues below this ad

ECONOMY: Under the AK Party regime, Turkey8217;s economy has grown by over 7 annually and foreign investment has soared. But the gap between haves and have-nots has widened and unemployment remains high. A strong lira and interest rates of 17.50 have hurt businesses and consumers. Opposition parties have criticised the sale of banks and other firms to foreign investors and complain about government debt.

LAW AND ORDER: The outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party PKK has stepped up attacks on military and civillian targets. The attacks have sparked calls for a army incursion into Iraq to crush PKK rebels. Turks also complain of a big rise in crime in the main cities.

IRAQ: Turkish political parties are critical of US policy in Iraq, which they believe is leading towards the creation of a Kurdish state that could fan separatism among Turkey8217;s Kurdish population.