Turkey moves closer to popular elected president

ANKARA, May 4 (Reuters) Turkey moved a step closer today to make the president of the republic elected by the people rather than by parliament, a move which could dramatically change the political landscape in the country.

The Islamist-rooted AK Party announced a series of constitutional changes this week after suffering a stinging defeat in the courts, which effectively blocked their efforts to appoint the next president through a vote in parliament.

Turkey's highest court ruled on Tuesday that the first round of the presidential election was invalid due to a lack of quorum in the parliament, which is controlled by the AK Party.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, a savvy and popular politician, hopes to bypass the secularist opposition in parliament, the courts and the army with his plan. Newspapers suggest many Turks favour direct presidential elections.

Parliament's constitutional committee discussed today amendments agreed by the AK Party and the opposition ANAP party -- an important step towards a vote..

The support of ANAP's deputies would allow the package to clear a threshold of two thirds, or 367 members of parliament required to change the constitution. The package is due to go before the chamber and voted on in coming days, barring legal challenges.

''I think the AK Party could do it...there are several countries in world where they have elected presidents that are ceremonial posts,'' said William Hale, a professor at Istanbul's Sabanci University.

Secularists want to stop Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, the AK Party's presidential candidate, becoming head of state.

They fear he and Erdogan, both ex-Islamists, plan to chip away at Turkey's separation of state and religion, a claim they deny.

The government took the unprecedented step last week of publicly rebuking the armed forces over a declaration expressing concern about Gul's candidature. The generals, who have four times since 1960 removed governments they deemed a threat to the secular or democratic order, are clearly alarmed by events.

Erdogan has also brought forward national elections to July 22 by three and a half months in the hope of ending a bitter standoff between the government and the powerful secular elite.

Erdogan has vowed to press ahead with a parliamentary presidential election on May 6 despite the court setback in what is widely seen as a face saving gesture. AK has an overwhelming majority in parliament.

BYPASSING OLD GUARD Secularists fear that once the AK Party takes the presidency it will control all senior state institutions and its powers will be unchecked. The rise to power of the AK Party on the ashes of a banned Islamist party worries the secular elite.

The AK Party denies the charges and says its record in office shows it respects secularism.

''The old establishment hates the idea that these guys coming from (the) periphery are now reaching all the power centres one by one, economic and now political,'' said Cengiz Aktar at Istanbul's Bahcesehir University.

The constitutional amendment, which is opposed by the main CHP opposition, envisages the president elected by popular vote for a five year term for a maximum of two terms. Currently the president is elected by parliament for a single seven-year term.

If parliament approves the amendment the next president could be elected by popular vote later this year. The popular vote would give the president greater authority.

''This is an extremely dangerous move, Turkey has no such experience... first we need to define what powers and policies they should have,'' said Aktar.

The AK Party remains Turkey's most popular party.

The party has championed economic and social reforms, wooed foreign investors and improved Turkey's poor human rights record since sweeping to power in 2002 amid a deep financial crisis.

Reuters SM RS2101