There is a sense of relief in Turkey's press after Abdullah Gul's election as president, with many commentators hoping the vote will finally draw a line under months of political wrangling.

Several hail the arrival of Turkey's first president with an Islamist background as a historic turning point, and believe the outcome is a testament to the maturity of Turkish democracy.

But there are still fears Mr Gul's presidency could be a step towards eroding Turkey's secularist system, with several commentators warning him that his actions will be closely watched.

With Abdullah Gul's election as the 11th president, a new page is being turned in Turkish politics. Turkey is being given an opportunity - an opportunity to leave its political fears behind, return to normal and achieve democratic maturity.

Turkey will never become an Iran, by which I mean it will never turn into a theocracy. As president, Abdullah Gul will soon show that these fears are unjustified. I believe Gul's move into the presidential residence will be the first step towards Turkish politics returning to normal.

With this election, which took place without any disruption, Turkey, which has been living in an atmosphere of abnormality for some time, has taken a step back towards normality. Our duty is to watch Gul's actions as president closely - his attitudes, preferences, gestures, everything he does.

Gul's election as president marks a historic turning point, and shows how far our democracy has come. He is the first president to need two elections to be elected. His first election was torpedoed by intrigue, triggering a parliamentary election. Turkey lost a couple of months, but its democracy has actually gained in the process.

Abdullah Gul's election as president forced us to go through a very painful process. However, the Turkish nation, which knows how to resolve things without ignoring the basic rules of democracy and the rule of law, managed to reach a legitimate outcome. All we can do now is to accept the fact that Gul is the 11th president, and help him as long as he remains loyal to the oath he took before the Turkish nation.

The secularists believe Abdullah Gul's election as president is an even greater danger than the AK Party gaining 47 per cent of the vote [in parliamentary elections]. They believe this will result in Turkey becoming increasingly religious, and their anger is growing. Abdullah Gul himself can prevent this escalation. He will make this period of transition easier by remaining non-partisan.

Gul has political experience; he has had contact with the world. He has experience in economics and diplomacy. I believe that as president, he will not become introverted, but more open. Because of his background, he will not be the "AK Party president".

Gul's presidency is a great success for the counter-revolution. But this does not mean it's all over. Despite the fact that people in the West are speaking about a "defeat for the secular minority", Turkey has not yet fully shown its hidden power to defend its modernity.

Anybody who expects the attitude of the supporters of the status quo to change after the presidential election is dreaming. They will continue to do whatever they can to continue their privileged position. What they are not aware of is that society no longer supports their privileges.

BBC Monitoring selects and translates news from radio, television, press, news agencies and the internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages. It is based in Caversham, UK, and has several bureaux abroad.