Update: Turkish parliament committee adopts presidential election bill

ANKARA (A.A) - January 12, 2012 - Turkish Parliament's Constitutional Committee adopted on Thursday a presidential election bill. According to a temporary article of the bill, the 11th president of Turkey (President Abdullah Gul) will serve for seven years. The same article says, "presidents elected before the day when the amendment on some articles of the constitution dated May 31, 2007 entered into force, are subject to provisions of the Constitution before the amendment. The Constitution before the amendment in 2007 does not allow one person to be elected president twice. Thus, President Abdullah Gul, and former presidents Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Suleyman Demirel and Kenan Evren cannot run for a second term. According to the bill, president will be elected by popular vote, and presidential election will take place every five years. A person can be elected president only for two terms.