Islamic Party Fares Well In Turkish Election

An Islamic movement that wants to turn Muslim Turkey away from the West appeared assured Sunday of being Parliament’s biggest party, but its elections gains fell far short of what it needed to form a government alone.

The election was considered a virtual referendum on whether Turkey should reaffirm its secular system or move toward religious rule.

But while the Islamic Welfare party seemed headed to be the biggest vote-getter, the results fell short of a mandate to move the country toward an Islamic model.