Turkish Parliament votes for early elections
The Turkish parliament today voted overwhelmingly to hold early elections in November, nearly 18 months before they are due.
In an emergency session of parliament, MPs voted 449 to 62 in favour of a proposal brought by nationalists in the coalition government to hold elections on November 3.
The decision, which will shorten the lifespan of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit’s government, came after months of political uncertainty caused by Ecevit’s poor health and divisions within his government over reforms to boost Turkey’s bid for European Union membership.
Ecevit’s party has suffered mass defections which have removed his government’s absolute majority in parliament. The nationalists said elections were the best way to end the uncertainty.
The 77-year-old Ecevit has opposed early elections, saying they could hurt an economic recovery programme, harm the country’s chances of joining the EU and could bring an Islamic party back to power.
He also said elections held under the prospect of US led military action against Iraq would not be in Turkey’s interests.
But Ecevit’s two coalition partners, along with opposition parties in parliament, supported early elections, guaranteeing a majority in favour.
Ecevit’s government has presided over Turkey’s deepest recession since the Second World War, with the economy shrinking 9.4% last year amid mass layoffs. Voters are widely expected to punish the coalition parties at the ballot box.
Most opinion polls show a pro-Islamic opposition party as the likely top party to emerge from the November elections.
