Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development party dissolves parliament and calls an election after High Court annuls presidential vote

The ruling blocked the way for foreign minister Abdullah Gul to gain election as president.
Friday, a secularist opposition boycott denied foreign minister Abdullah Gul the two-thirds parliamentary majority to be elected president, accusing him of pro-Islamist proclivities. Gul argued that he had enough votes and was overruled by the supreme court.
The army had threatened to intervene in the constitutional crisis to prevent a pro-Islamic figure becoming presdident.
Hundreds were arrested in Istanbul clash between Turkish May Day secularist demonstrators and police in Istanbul Tuesday. At least 34 dead, most killed in stampede as police charged and beat up protesters. This was one of a series of popular pro-secular demonstrations Turkey has seen to block the election of a president with Islamic roots.