The new Prime Minister of Turkey, Mr Bulent Ecevit, yesterday presented a cabinet list to President Suleyman Demirel, ending a government crisis in Ankara which has lasted more than six weeks.
The minority cabinet, composed of members of Mr Ecevit's Democratic Left Party (DSP) and independents, is to remain in office only three months, as elections are already scheduled for April 18th.
The outgoing education minister, Mr Hikmet Ulugbay, a controversial figure because of his key role in cutting religious schools out of the education system and in enforcing a ban on headscarves in schools, will be Deputy Prime Minister.
The appointment of Mr Ulugbay, who has drawn fire from the Islamist press, is a clear signal that the new government is determined to continue battling the rise of Islamist fundamentalism, in line with several recent warnings from the strictly pro-secular military leadership.
Mr Ismail Cem remains in place as Foreign Minister, a post he has held since June 1997, as does the state minister in charge of European affairs and Cyprus, Mr Sukru Sina Gurel.
The ministries of the interior, justice, and communications in the new cabinet are to be filled by independents under a constitutional rule governing the run-up to general elections.
The number of posts in cabinet was reduced from 37 in the outgoing government to 25 by eliminating 12 ministries without portfolio. There are no women in the new cabinet.
Mr Ecevit is to present his government's programme to parliament today. The six-page document focuses on Turkey's economic troubles and the struggle against organised crime. Alleged mafia links brought down the last government.
In its foreign relations, the new government intends to continue its predecessor's policy. "Turkey will maintain its determined attitude in its foreign policy," Mr Ecevit said in an interview, attributing the decision by Cyprus not to take delivery of Russian S300 missiles and Italy's softening in the row over the Kurdish rebel leader, Mr Abdullah Ocalan, to Ankara's "determined stance".
A vote of confidence, which the minority cabinet is expected to win, is scheduled for Sunday.
Mr Ecevit has been assured of the support of Ms Tansu Ciller's True Path Party and the Motherland Party of the outgoing prime minister, Mr Mesut Yilmaz, which would give his minority government a majority of more than 290 out of 550 votes in parliament. Mr Yilmaz's government was toppled by a vote of no-confidence on November 25th for alleged links with organised crime.
Earlier attempts to cobble together a government failed because of a fractious parliament and moves to keep out the Islamic Virtue Party, the assembly's largest grouping.
Mr Ecevit's cabinet will be the 56th government in the 75-year history of the Turkish republic, and the fourth since the last election in December 1995.
Mr Ecevit, who gave the order for the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, served as prime minister for 10 months in 1974 and for another 22 months in 1978-1979. In 1977 he led a shortlived minority government which failed to receive parliamentary support and had to step down after a month.