Crisis again in Turkey

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33066, 6 November 1972, Page 17

Crisis again in Turkey

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright; ANKARA, Nov. 5. An emergency Cabinet session is being held in Ankara today, after the Republican People’s Party decision to withdraw from the national coalition Government, and to instruct its five Cabinet Ministers to resign.

Informed sources, however, say that the meeting may not reach a decision on whether the Government itself should resign, or name new Ministers.

Although the six-month-old Government of the Prime Minister (Mr Melen) still holds a Parliamentary majority, the Left-of-Centre R.P.P. decision has robbed him of the support of Turkey’s second-largest party, which said yesterday that it had left the Government because the country’s new five-year plan was conservative in outlook, and did not embody any of the R.P.P.’s policies for economic and social reform. The party, it said, had voted overwhelmingly to tell its five Cabinet Ministers to resign; but late last night there was mounting speculation that at least one of the Ministers would refuse to obey the order, and would defect to another party.

Mr Melen yesterday conferred with President Sunay and General Faruk Gurler, the head of the armed forces, both of whom have played an active role in recent Turkish politics. Mr Melen declined to comment on the R.P.P.’s move, beyond saying that any decision he took would be in the best interests of Turkey and democracy. In the past, he has been quoted as saying that he could not visualise leading a coalition which did not include the R.P.P. Mr Melen’s Cabinet comprises representatives of three political parties—his own National Reliance Party, the Justice Party, and the R.P.P.—and technocrats from outside Parliament.

Turkey has been ruled by similar coalitions since March 1971, when the military forced the resignation of the majority Justice Party Administration, and demanded wide-ranging reforms and tough measures against Leftwing terrorism. The March intervention came after an extraordinary meeting of the enlarged Command Council of the Armed Forces, comprising the three armed forces commanders and senior generals. Informed sources said last night that the council would meet tomorrow and that no decision on the fate of Mr Melen’s Government was likely to be taken until after that meeting.