Turkey's foreign and economy ministers resigned Thursday, leaving the government of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit little chance of survival and making early elections a near certainty.
Hours after foreign minister Ismail Cem resigned, Kemal Dervis — the architect of Turkey's economic recovery program — said he was doing the same, bringing to eight the number of ministers who have quit the government. Thirty-eight legislators have resigned from Ecevit's party this week, AP reported.
The string of resignations increases pressure for new elections, which could become a showdown between supporters and opponents of implementing reforms to bring Turkey closer to the European Union.
Dervis' departure raises concerns over the country's efforts to boost its rickety economy. Dervis announced his resignation minutes after financial markets closed Thursday — and refused attempts by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer to convince him to stay, private CNN-Turk reported. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
