One million Turks protest ahead of early elections

IZMIR, Turkey, May 13 (Reuters) At least 1 million Turks took to the streets of Izmir today to demand their country remain a secular state, stepping up pressure on the Islamist-rooted government before July elections.

Organisers hoped the third major anti-government protest in a month would unite a fractured opposition ahead of the poll.

On the eve of the rally, a bombing in the port city killed one man and injured 14. It was not immediately clear who was behind Saturday's attack.

Streets and buildings in Turkey's third largest city, including army barracks, were covered in a sea of red Turkish flags and portraits of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the revered founder of modern Turkey.

''Turkey is secular and will remain secular,'' protesters, predominantly youths at this rally, chanted. ''No to sharia (Islamic law).'' Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's ruling AK Party has been forced to call a parliamentary election months ahead of schedule to defuse a conflict with Turkey's secularists over a presidential vote.

Turkey's secular elite, including opposition parties, top judges and army generals, successfully blocked Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul's election. They feared the ex-Islamist might try to undermine Turkey's separation of state and religion, a claim Gul and his ruling AK Party strongly deny.

Turkey's main opposition centre-left Republican People's Party (CHP) and the smaller leftist Democratic Left Party (DSP) -- which are in talks to form an alliance -- hope to use the rally to build momentum ahead of the July 22 election.

''We are here today to show our support for the secular republic and hope the opposition will unite otherwise the AK Party will again control parliament,'' said 38-year-old Metin Yilmaz, who works as a truck driver.

Local police told Reuters at least 1 million people attended the seaside rally, with no major incidents reported. Organisers, many leftwing groups, had hoped to attract 2 million people.

OPPOSITION The success of the secularist opposition in derailing Erdogan's plans to have his close ally, Gul, elected president has given opposition parties new confidence, analysts say.

The political crisis has brought about mergers between opposition parties in the hope of passing a 10 per cent threshold of votes in July to enter parliament.

''Many young people don't feel opposition parties represent them.

They don't know who to vote for. That's the challenge for the opposition,'' said Dogu Ergil of Ankara University.

Opinion polls show the centre-right AK Party is likely to win most votes in July but it may fail to win an outright majority, forcing it to form a coalition government.

The AK Party has presided over strong economic growth and the launch of Turkey's historic European Union entry talks. It remains Turkey's most popular political party.

But a series of large anti-AK Party rallies have again brought to the surface the great divide among Turks, who are predominantly Muslim, over the role of religion amid fast economic and social change.

Izmir, a transit point for Turkey's tourism industry, has traditionally been predominantly secular and pro-Western.

It is seen as a key battle ground in elections.

''The AK Party will most likely win the elections but they will have to take into account these demonstrations and what people are saying. They can't remain arrogant any more,'' said Haluk Berk, a doctor who also teaches at an Izmir university.

''The silent majority is finally coming out,'' he said.

Reuters DS DB1819