TURKEY: TURKISH PRIME MINISTER-DESIGNATE YALIM EREZ ABANDONS ATTEMPT TO FORM A NEW GOVERNMENT
Record ID:
231103
TURKEY: TURKISH PRIME MINISTER-DESIGNATE YALIM EREZ ABANDONS ATTEMPT TO FORM A NEW GOVERNMENT
- Title: TURKEY: TURKISH PRIME MINISTER-DESIGNATE YALIM EREZ ABANDONS ATTEMPT TO FORM A NEW GOVERNMENT
- Date: 6th January 1999
- Summary: ANKARA, TURKEY (JANUARY 6) (REUTERS) 1. VARIOUS TURKISH PRIME MINISTER-DESIGNATE YALIM EREZ'S CAR DRIVING INTO THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE 0.16 2. SV EREZ ARRIVES FOR PRESS CONFERENCE 0.25 3. SV (SOUNDBITE)(Turkish) INDEPENDENT DEPUTY YALIM EREZ SPEAKING 0.52 FILE - DECEMBER, 1998 4. MV LEFTIST LEADER BULENT ECEVIT MEETING TANSU CILLER, LEADER OF THE TRUE PATH PARTY 1.27 5. MV BULENT ECEVIT MEETING DENIZ BAYKAL, REPUBLICAN PEOPLE'S PARTY 1.51 6. MV BULENT ECEVIT MEETING MESUT YILMAZ, MOTHERLAND PARTY 2.07 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 21st January 1999 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ANKARA, TURKEY
- Country: Turkey
- Reuters ID: LVA3LAI53PBS63UY28Q0JAO0SMOI
- Story Text: Turkish Prime Minister-designate Yalim Erez on
Wednesday abandoned an attempt to form a new government and
end a protracted political crisis.The Turkish President is
now expected to ask veteran leftist leader Bulent Ecevit to
have a second try at forming an administration, after failing
last month.
Conservative former premier Tansu Ciller scuppered the
efforts of Yalim Erez on Monday (January 4) by declaring her
support for Bulent Ecevit, a former prime minister who ordered
Turkey's invasion of Cyprus while in office in 1974.
It was an unexpected move, as Ciller's had refused
Ecevit's leadership in their first round of talks few weeks
ago, insisting on her own premiership.
In a news conference on Wednesday (January 6), Erez said
what was important was that Turkey does not remain without a
government, "An attempt has been made to form a government
other than my own.With the acceptance of this formula by the
same people who rejected that formula in the first place, and
with the acceptance of the other parties, I see that an
agreement has been reached to form a government, as I had
wished.The new government should win the vote of confidence
it needs".
Istanbul shares were 2.68 percent up by mid-afternoon on
hopes that Ecevit would be appointed to form a government.
Turkey has been plagued by political uncertainty since a
left-right ruling alliance collapsed in 1995.There have been
four weak coalitions since then, with the army taking a
greater role in politics.
The country has not had an established government since
November when parliament toppled conservative Mesut Yilmaz on
accusations of corruption.Yilmaz has stayed on as caretaker
prime minister.
Erez had been confident as recently as Monday that he
would marshal support to take the country to early elections
in April.
But his talks with the main Islamist opposition party,
Virtue, may have raised concerns among the secularist
military.
The armed forces, self-appointed guardians of Turkey's
75-year-old secular republic, have voiced concern at the
latest political wrangling.
Land forces commander Atilla Ates has hinted at
dissatisfaction over the personal rivalries that have marked
Turkish politics for decades..
The armed forces have carried out three coups in less than
40 years and led a campaign that ended with the fall of
Turkey's first Islamist-led government in 1997.
Political uncertainty has dealt a blow to Turkey's
ambitious privatisation programme and hindered attempts to
restructure debt and reform finances.
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