TURKEY: Turkish Prime Minister Mr Abdullah Gul said yesterday he would step down from his post to make way for the ruling party leader Mr Tayyip Erdogan, who is set to take his oath as a parliament deputy this week.
Mr Gul, was speaking after talks with Mr Erdogan, who on Sunday won a by-election which paved the way for him to enter parliament and become the next prime minister.
In a general election last November Mr Erdogan led the Justice and Development Party (AKP) to a sweeping victory, but he had been banned until recently from public office because of a 1990s' conviction for Islamist sedition.
"I will go to the president and open the way for a new government to be formed after he takes the oath in parliament," Mr Gul told reporters.
Under Turkish constitutional procedure, Mr Gul must inform President Ahmet Necdet Sezer that he is stepping down. Mr Sezer would then appoint Mr Erdogan to form a new cabinet and win a vote of confidence, something that should not pose a challenge.
Mr Erdogan's first days in office are likely to be dominated with the issue of a looming US-led war against Iraq. He indicated on Sunday that it may be some days before he asks parliament to reconsider a US request to deploy up to 62,000 troops on Turkish soil in preparation for a war.
Parliament narrowly rejected the request on March 1st, upsetting US military plans and jeopardising up to $30 billion in grants and loan guarantees from the US that Turkish markets thought were in the bag.
Mr Erdogan said Turkey wanted assurances from Washington that the interests of Turkmen ethnic cousins in Iraq would be preserved and that Turkey would have a say in what happens to Iraq during and after a US-led war.
He also plans a shake-up of his cabinet when he takes over.
- (Reuters)