Turk PM delays govt announcement due to president

ANKARA, Aug 16 (Reuters) Turkey's outgoing president declined to approve Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's new cabinet line-up today, saying the premier should submit the list to the next head of state instead.

Erdogan, who had been expected to unveil a cabinet dominated by economic reformers, said Ahmet Necdet Sezer's attitude in their meeting was ''very positive'' and that his move should be seen not as a snub but as a courtesy towards his successor.

Sezer is a staunch secularist critic of Erdogan's ruling AK Party, which has Islamist roots, and has often vetoed its laws and appointments. Sezer is set to retire after Turkey's parliament has elected his successor later this month.

''Our respected president said we should present the list to the new president,'' Erdogan told a news conference after a brief meeting with Sezer at the presidential residence in Ankara.

''We can say his move was a courtesy towards the new president,'' Erdogan said, making clear there were no ill feelings. He added that Sezer's move had come as a surprise.

Erdogan's centre-right, pro-business AK Party won a decisive victory in July 22 parliamentary elections. Erdogan is expected to bring many new faces into his cabinet as he tries to accelerate economic and political reforms in Turkey.

Parliament starts voting for a new president on Monday.

The AK Party has re-nominated Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul as its candidate and he is expected to win on a third round of voting on Aug. 28 when he needs only a simple majority. The AK Party has 341 of the 550 seats in the assembly.

The head of the Turkish military, General Yasar Buyukanit, declined to answer questions on the presidency at a reception in Ankara today.

''Everything that could be said has been said. I will not speak more on this,'' NTV news channel quoted him as saying.

Gul, like Erdogan, is an ex-Islamist distrusted by Turkey's powerful secular elite including the army, which helped derail his first bid to become head of state in May. That move forced Erdogan to call the parliamentary elections months ahead of schedule.

REUTERS SBC PM2355