Free Republic

ANKARA, Turkey, Jul 16, 2002 (AP Online via COMTEX) -- Turkey's crumbling government lost its majority in parliament Tuesday after six more coalition legislators resigned, and Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit planned to meet with his allies to decide whether to step down. Ecevit had said he would step down if he lost the majority, but he seemed to backtrack from his promise, saying he would confer with his coalition partners first. "We don't want to rush to a decision, we will assess all possibilities," Ecevit told the Sabah newspaper. The government now has exactly half the seats in the...

May 31, 2002 Calls Grow for Turkey's Ailing Premier to Resign By Susan FraserThe Associated Press ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - There were more calls Friday for Turkey's ailing Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit to step down after he missed a key meeting with his top generals and government officials because of illness the day before. Pressure for him to resign even came from within his ruling coalition and newspapers normally supportive of the 77-year-old, who is credited with holding Turkey's three-party, pro-Western government together. "Under these conditions, Ecevit and his party must urgently decide whether he can handle such a heavy...

Associated Press: Middle East News Turkish Leader Taken to Hospital By SELCAN HACAOGLU (Associated Press Writer) The Associated Press Web Posted : 05/04/2002 8:15 AM ANKARA, Turkey (AP) _ Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit was admitted to a hospital Saturday with severe stomach and back pains.The 77-year-old centrist leader, who in recent years has been looking increasingly frail, is regarded as crucial for holding together the ruling coalition of competing parties in this overwhelmingly Muslim country. He is seen as strongly pro-Western.His doctor, Turgut Zileli, told reporters in front of Baskent Hospital that the prime minister's condition is not...