ANKARA, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, presidential candidate of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), said here Sunday that he would not retreat from the elections.

    Gul, who failed to win the first round of voting at parliament Friday, told a news conference that they are waiting for the decision to be made by the Constitutional Court over the dispute emerged in the elections.

    Gul received 357 votes in the first round of voting, 10 votes short of the 367 majority required in the 550-seat parliament.

    The main opposition secularists Republican People's Party (CHP),which boycotted the vote, appealed to the country's constitutional court to annul the presidential vote since the parliament convened with less than 367 lawmakers to elect the new president.

    If the court upholds the CHP's appeal, a general election will be called within 90 days, local media reported.

    Late on Friday, the staunchly secularist Turkish army issued a statement, saying that it was watching with concern the debate over secular system in the presidential elections and would "openly display its position and attitudes when it becomes necessary."

    Turkish government on Saturday criticized the army's threat to defend the country's secularism by intervening in domestic politics.

    "This is perceived as a stance against the government. Such way of thinking is rather disturbing in a democratic environment," said the government spokesman Cemil Cicek.