TURKEY’S ruling Islamist-rooted party clinched a record landslide in yesterday’s parliamentary polls, but appeared short of the two-thirds majority it needs to rewrite the constitution, unofficial results showed.

Turkish police detained 52 military commanders for allegedly planning to blow up mosques in order to trigger a military takeover and overthrow the Islamic-oriented government.

Two retired generals were jailed in connection with an alleged plot to topple Turkey’s Islamic-rooted government, the highest-ranking ex-soldiers detained as part of the probe.

Turkey’s parliament today approved the first of two constitutional amendments that would lift a decades-old ban on Islamic head scarves in universities despite the fierce opposition of the secular establishment.

Turkish authorities today announced the final results of the country’s general elections, confirming the ruling party’s victory.

FOREIGN Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday said he might make a fresh bid for Turkey’s presidency, in comments sure to stir unease in the country’s powerful secular establishment.

Turkey’s Islamic-rooted ruling party won parliamentary elections by a big margin tonight in a contest that had pitted the government against opponents warning of a threat to secular traditions.

Polls opened in Turkey today for parliamentary elections that were called early amid a growing rift over the role of Islam in society.

Turks were sharply divided today over the government’s surprise proposal to open a major port and airport to long-time foe Cyprus and save the country’s troubled EU membership talks.

Amid protests from women’s groups and warnings from the EU, Turkey’s government agreed to measures that would appear to scuttle its plans to introduce legislation making adultery a crime.

NATO member Turkey voted yesterday in parliamentary polls that could change the political landscape of a country mired in economic crisis and facing the threat of war in neighbouring Iraq.

Early results tonight showed a party with Islamic roots leading in today’s Turkish elections.