Turkish crisis: Inonu resigns

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33067, 7 November 1972, Page 19

Turkish crisis: Inonu resigns

(N.Z.P A.-Reuter—Copyright) ANKARA, November 6. Turkey’s most venerated elder statesman, Mr Ismet Inonu, who is 88, has resigned from the Left-of-Centre Republican People’s Party 7, and from the National Assembly, in protest against the party’s decision to withdraw from the national coalition Government.

Mr Inonu, who was the right-hand man of Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modem Turkey, said that the change in R.P.P. policy was bad for the country; and he announced that he was seeking a place in the Senate. His letter of resignation was read to reporters by his grand-daughter, aged 15. The R.P.P. is deeply divided and has suffered a series of resignations after its decision to withdraw from the While the Prime Minister (Mr Melen) -as conferring with his Cabinet and other leaders in a near-crisis atmosphere last night, six RP P. Parliamentarians left Two of the five R.P.P. Cabinet-members, instructed bv their party to resign from the Government vesterday, regned instead from the party. But the heaviest blow to the R.P.P.’s prestige has been Mr Inonu’s resignation I Mr Melen told reporters [ a •ter the three-hour emergency Cabinet meeting that he would reach a decision on the future of the Government after consultations with President Sunay and political His Government still has a' •he withdrawal of the R.P.P.i robs it of the support of' Turkey's second-largest ( party.

ments have ruled in Turkey since March, 1971, when the military forced the resignation of the majority Justice Party Administration, and demanded wide-ranging reforms and tough measures against Left-wing terrorism. The enlarged Command Council of- the Armed Forces, comprising the three armed forces commanders and senior generals, is meeting in Ankara today to discuss the situation. Mr Melen said last night: "The Command Council meeting is an internal affair of the Turkish armed forces, and I shall not attend that.”