The leader of an Islamic-rooted party that swept weekend elections in Turkey said Thursday that his party would not nominate the country's next premier until next week at the earliest. Justice and Development Party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke Thursday after meeting with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, who formally appoints the prime minister. Erdogan said his party would not give the president its pick for the post until after the new parliament sits, which could come as soon as Wednesday.

Erdogan is barred from the top post of prime minister because of a conviction for inciting religious hatred. Sezer has indicated that he doesn't want Erdogan to pick a puppet premier, causing tension between the two.

Since his party's victory Sunday, Erdogan has adopted a softer tone and said he too is against the appointment of a puppet premier, and wants a strong candidate to steer the country out of a deep economic crisis that has seen about 2 million jobs lost.

Many believe Erdogan's party might eventually try to change the constitution to allow him to take the post of prime minister.

His party narrowly lacks the two-thirds parliamentary majority to make this change, and the opposition party said Thursday it might support the proposal.

Deniz Baykal, leader of the center-left Republican People's Party, the only other party to win seats in parliament, said he supported overturning the laws that banned Erdogan from running in the election.

The Justice party won 363 of the 550 seats in parliament and will be able to form a single-party government - the first time that has been possible after 15 years of divided politics in Turkey.

Baykal also met with Sezer on Thursday morning.

Baykal and Erdogan have pledged to work together on furthering Turkey's European Union bid. Erdogan said the president expressed satisfaction with the cooperation between the two parties on the matter.

Turkey's stock market went up early Thursday for the fourth straight day, with investors optimistic about a strong Justice party government pledged to economic recovery.

ERDOGAN ADOPTS SOFT RHETORIC ON HEADSCARVES BAN

Erdogan said Wednesday that his party would avoid confrontation over a ban against religious headscarves in the predominantly Muslim but secular country.

Islamic headscarves are illegal in public offices and state universities, meaning religious women are unable to enter parliament or classrooms. Ending this ban was key to Recep Tayyip Erdogan's successful campaign for the Justice and Development Party ahead of Sunday's vote.

But he appeared to soften his stance in an exclusive interview Wednesday with The Associated Press.

"This is an issue we want to solve with public consensus," Erdogan said. "But it is not right to give a date" for when it will be resolved.

Erdogan indicated he might push only to lift restrictions at universities.

"The issue at the schools are different. The issue at the government offices are different. Those two issues have to be separated," he said.

Erdogan's two daughters study in the United States because they are not allowed to enter Turkish universities with their headscarves.

It's not immediately clear whether Erdogan would insist, his wife wear headscarves

Turkey's staunchly secular generals, who pushed a former Islamic government out of power four years ago, see the scarf as a symbol of radical Islam.

At the moment, Erdogan is barred from office because of a conviction for inciting religious hatred.

PHOTO CAPTION

Turkey's Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, winner of Turkish elections, talks to reporters in front of a portrait of Turkish Republic founder Ataturk, in Ankara, November 7, 2002. European Union hopeful Turkey must wait until next week to learn who will be its next prime minister after Erdogan said he had not yet put forward a candidate. (Fatih Saribas/Reuter