AFTER nearly a century of strictly secular rule, Turkey last week got a new president, Abdullah Gul, who is strongly disliked by the Turkish military because he is an observant Muslim with a background in Islamic politics. In his first speech as president, Mr. Gul, a 56-year-old economist, praised Turkey’s secular tradition, saying it guaranteed personal freedoms. But the officer corps, which considers itself the guardian of secularism and generally doesn’t trust political leaders like Mr. Gul, showed its dislike for him by skipping his appointment ceremony.
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