| Turkey’s powerful army leadership stayed away from Abdullah Gul’s first reception as president on Wednesday in a move widely viewed as a snub to the ex-Islamist whose election the generals had opposed. The office of the president, who is commander-in-chief of the armed forces, played down the no-show, saying the generals had indicated they had other pressing engagements. “The information that the chief of the General Staff and the forces’ commanders will be outside Ankara for previously planned military activities was given to the President on Aug. 30, actually before this invitation was planned”, Gul’s office said in a statement. |