On the eve of a devout Muslim's expected accession to the country's presidency, Turkey's resolutely secular military leadership issued a sharp warning Monday against any attempt to erode the constitutional separation of religion and state.

The strongly worded statement by the powerful army chief of staff was not expected to derail today's election of Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul by lawmakers. Gul needs only a simple majority of votes in parliament, which his party dominates, to assume the presidency.

Nonetheless, the army's warning illustrates the continuing rift within Turkey over the role of Islam in public life - a debate that was muted, but not silenced, by the decisive victory of the Islamist-pedigreed ruling party in July's general election.

"The Turkish armed forces, as in the past, will never deviate from its determined stance and its duty of protecting and guarding the democratic, secular ... Turkish republic," Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, the chief of the military's general staff, said. Read More

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