Gul Approves Pro-Eu Turkey Cabinet
Turkey's new president has approved a cabinet with a mix of AK party and secular members aimed at pushing stalled political and economic changes necessary to win entry to the EU.The 25-member cabinet includes eight new members, and has strong business credentials. In July the ruling AK party won a sweeping election victory but was unable to form a government until now due to objections by Gul's secularist predecessor Ahmet Necdet Sezer.
Senior generals snubbed Gul's swearing-in ceremony in parliament on Tuesday, widely-seen as a sign of protest against their new commander-in-chief. On Monday the military's top brass hinted that it would not stand on the sidelines if the separation of religion and state was threatened. Gul has denied any intention to subvert the secular order, pledging in an inaugural speech to uphold the system and the principles of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey. Meanwhile, in central Ankara, trade unions continued protests on Wednesday demanding better pay, jobs for millions of poor and a solution for the country's water shortages.
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