Ex-minister's resignation ends Erbakan's majority

A piqued ex-minister yesterday skittled the parliamentary majority of Turkey's government, even as senior figures from the Welfare Party and the True Path Party discussed conditions for early elections.

Yildirim Aktuna's resignation was the latest in a series of desertions from Tansu Ciller's True Path Party, and wiped out the government's majority. Yesterday evening, Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan met Mrs Ciller - who doubles up as Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister - to confirm the co-option of the Grand Union Party into the government, and to discuss a timetable for elections. Christopher de Bellaigue - Ankara