Islamists’ Return to Power Predicted

Prime Minister-designate Bulent Ecevit warned political rivals that his failure to form a government probably will return the Islamist opposition to power. He predicted that the collapse of his talks with bickering parliamentary rivals over forming a coalition government could bring back the Islamists, who were forced out of power 18 months ago by the powerful military. Overwhelmingly Muslim Turkey’s national charter strictly forbids the mixing of politics and religion, but the Islamists have pledged to end the restriction if they win power.