Rival Turkish Centrist Parties OK Coalition
Breaking a two-month stalemate, rival leaders from two centrist parties agreed Wednesday to form a ruling coalition, blocking an anti-Western Islamic party from gaining power.
Turkey’s military pressured acting Prime Minister Tansu Ciller, head of the True Path Party, and Motherland Party leader Mesut Yilmaz into reaching an accord, political analysts said.
The leaders of the two center-right parties agreed to rotate the premiership, with Yilmaz assuming it first. They said they would meet Friday to work out details.
Turkey had been in a political impasse since the pro-Islamic Welfare Party garnered the most votes in Dec. 24 general elections.
Yilmaz last week called off a coalition alliance with Welfare and reopened talks with Ciller.
The Ciller-Yilmaz coalition still needs the backing of one of the smaller parties in parliament.
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