The party of ailing Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit lost another member today, bringing to 45 the number of deputies to have resigned in five days over his refusal to step down.
Mr Ecevit's Democratic Left Party (DSP), which had 128 deputies on Monday, now has fewer representatives in parliament than two other parties.
If the haemorrage continues, the tattered three-party government led by Mr Ecevit - who has been off work due to illness for the past two months - risks losing its parliamentary majority.
The far-right partner in the coalition government, the Nationalist Action Party (MHP), is now the biggest party in parliament, with 127 of the 291 seats.
The centre-right True Path Party (DYP) of former premier Tansu Ciller is now the second largest political formation in the assembly with 85 seats, two more than Mr Ecevit's party.
The beleaguered prime minister, who has also been abandoned by seven of his ministers, admitted yesterday he might be forced to resign if the number of DSP seats fell to 59 because the government would then no longer have a parliamentary majority.
Mr Ali Tekin, a deputy for Adana, southeastern Turkey, became the 45th DSP member to officially resign today.
Turkish newspapers said the mayor of the southern city of Mersin had also defected from the DSP and hundreds of the DSP's local representatives had handed in their party cards.
AFP