Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris

Revue de Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro de la Prensa-Basm Özeti
ber of yean pupils must spend in pub~c
school before they may attend Islamic
scademies.
But one influential member of Par-
Îiament from Mr. Erbakan 's party, Salih
Xapusuz, said he hoped the party would
"do all it can to oppose such a pr0-
posal." His statement suggested that it
'would be difficult for Mr. Erbakan to
retreat from his Islamist policies.
Two members of Mr. Erbakan 's cabinet
resigned over the weekend, and
Turkish newspapers reported that others
might soon do so. Several influential
commentators bave predicted that the
10-month-oid government will not survive
more than a few weeks.
The two ministers who announced
their resignations Saturday, Health
Minister of Yildirim Aktuna and Trade
Minister of Yalim Erez, said they were
angered by Mr. Erbakan's reluctance to
reverse some of his Islamist policies as
he had agreed to do in February under
pressure from the military. Both-men are
members of the coalition government's
secular partner, the True Path Party.
Mr. Erbakan's coalition has looked
increasingly shaky in recent weeks.
Leaders of other parties bave met ~d
agreed on a list of political and business
figures who could serve as ministers in a
new, non-Islamist government.
Military commanders, who view
themselves as ~ans of the country's
secular prmciples, have: been increasingly
vocal in their criticism of Mr.
Erbakan 's Islamist policies.
The criticism reached a new level
after Mr. Erbakan returned last week
from, a pilgrima..&eto Mecca. One commander,
General Osman OZbek, went so Mr. Menderes's friends said in an interview.
"He sees two trains running on
ifar as to describe him as "a pimp" for
accepting the hospitality of the cœser~ a track toward each other, and he doesn 't
vative Saudi governmenL
want to stand by and allow a crash."
. The resignations of the two cabinet Mr. Menderes has a special reason to
members came as Turkey's' senior mil~ fear the results of a coup. His father,
~ • • • l:J
itary and civilian leaders, including Mr. Adnan Menderes, was ~dent of Turkey
in 1960 when the military carried out
Erbakan, gathered" in Ankara for what
was seen as a crucial meeting of the a coup and was later hanged along with
National Security Council:
several members of his govenunent.
"1bere are some develqpments in our As it has seemed more likely that the
country against the basic constitutional government was approaching collapse.
principles of our republic," said the Mrs. Ciller has scrambled to join negotiations
chief of the general staff, General Ismail
with other parties. The two
Hakki Karadayi, as he entered the meetin
ministers who' resigned Saturday have
g strongly criticized Mrs. Ciller for reministers
H. e saI'd no Turkld' cou remam. ".
lß1- 'fusing to demand that Mr. Erbakan keep
partial in the face of this. "
the secularist promises he made in February.
Mr. Erbakan came to power in June
after an election in whicn his Welfare Among those promises were to cut the
~, an Islamic party, won less than 22 number of students being trained at re-'
Percent of the vote. He formed a coalition ligious academies, crack down on
with the True Path Party headed by Tansu Muslim groups who are believed to be
Ciller, who became ~ foreign minister. accumulating weapons, close unlicensed
Koran schools and end his
Military commanders bave come to
detest both Mr. Erb8kan, whom they party' s recruitment of officers dismissed
view as having a hidden agenda aimed at fronl the army because of their fundamentalist
sympathies.
destroying Turkish secularism, and Mrs.
Ciller, whom they consider conupt. . Turkish newspapers have been predicting
Mr. Erbakan's fall. Evensome
Last week, a handful of Prime Minister
Erbakan' s supporters in Parliament commentators who bave supported Mr.
said they were preparing to defect from Erbakan until now are reconciled to the
the coalition to brin, down the government
by leaving It without a par- wrote a column that sounded like an
prospect. One of them, Hnur Cevik,
:1iamentary majority.
obituary of his government.
Their leader, Aydin Menderes, a "The masses who make up more than
deputy chairman of the Welfare Party, 70 percent of the electorate do not trust
'has told associates that he feared a mil- Welfare," he wrote of the prime minister's
'itary coup if the government was not
party. "}Velfare not only failed to
brought down democratically.
undertake any reforms, but, on the contrary,
"Re' s saying that something has to be
gave the impression of covering up
done to avoid a huge explosion," one of serious conuption charges."
Turkish Dally News Monday. Apr1l28. 1997 '
Military.~xpectedto
'assess' Ozbek crisis
METEHAN DEMiR
AnkanI. Turldsb Daily News
Sources say general
staff is also considering
assigning controversial
general to a new post in
attempt to give message
to certain circles
General Osman Ozbek in the eye
of the storm.
• The Office of Chief of
General Staff is to launch an
assessment of the c~se of
Brig. Gen. Osman Ozbek -
who slammed Prime Minister
Necmettin Erbakan and
Welfare Party (RP) in his
recent remarks.
High-level military sources
told the Turkish Daily News
that the military is also considering
the possibility of .
assigning him to a new post In
an effort to send a message to
certain circles in Turkey that
only the General Staff is
authorized to take action
against Brig. Gen. ()zbdi., Il
necessary. They added that
because of recent developments
which deeplydisturb
the public as well as the
Turkish Armed Forces, such
criticisms from military personnel
are normal but they
don't mean that the military is
involving itself in domestic
politics. .
"Erzurum Gendarmerie
Commander was absolutely
right in his criticisms and
concerns for the Turkish
Republic but this is against
military procedure. The
General Staff will remind Brig.
Gen. Özbek that suçh criticisms
should not be voiced by individuals.
He will not face any punishment
but the Turkish nùlitary
will show certain circles who
are preparing to gpen an investigation
against .Ozbe~ th~t such
assessments or IDvestJgatJons
against any member of the
,military can only be done
through the military system' s
mechanisms," said a senior
general.
Earlier, Justice Minister and
Welfare Party (RF) member
~evket Kazan said he would
order for an investigation
~gainst Brig. Gen. Osman
Ozbek, who had publicly criti-
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