Understanding a Gul Presidency: The End of Turkey As We Know It?

It is no surprise that the recent election of Abdullah Gul as the president of Turkey has sparked an intense and heated debate. The presidency is a powerful position, and whoever controls it has the ability to appoint key members of the government as well as the right to veto legislation. Critics of Gul allege that he has an overtly Islamist agenda, and that he will use his newfound authority to turn Turkey’s traditional secular republic into a hard-line Islamic state. Turkey will soon be the next Iran, these critics allege.

But, looking at Gul’s history and that of his AKP party, is there actually legitimate cause to worry?