THE Turkish Prime Minister, Mr Necmettin Erbakan, faces an opposition challenge to his government next week after a weekend visit to Libya during which Col Muammar Gadafy expressed support for Kurdish separatism in Turkey.
The left wing has called for it censure motion against Mr Erbakan for leaving Turkey open to scathing attacks from both his hosts and Ankara's close ally, Washington, after his Libyans visit.
"The assembly is likely to meet next week to discuss the motion," a parliament official said. MPs would probably debate the visit next Tuesday and decide on whether to hold a vote of censure against Mr Erbakan later, he said.
The Prime Minister has been condemned in Turkey for allowing the Libyan leader, Col Gadafy, openly to encourage Kurdish separatism in Turkey at a joint news conference with Mr Erbakan.
Mr Erbakan would have to resign after little more than three months as modern Turkey's first Islamist leader if he lost the vote. He has 281 MPs, five more than the number needed to guarantee victory in the censure vote. MPs' in his pro western coalition ally True Path Party are uneasy with Erbakan's efforts to take Muslim but secular Turkey closer to the Islamic and Arab world.
But analysts said the dissenters in the government would probably prop up Mr Erbakan, only for the lack of someone to immediately replace him.
Turkey meanwhile has been criticised by the United States for backing Col Gadafy over charges of sponsoring terrorism against the west. Mr Erbakan had claimed that Libya was against "terrorist activities" and was "the country suffering most from terror".
The US State Department accused Mr Erbakan on Monday, of "taking pot shots" at the US with "objectionable remarks" in Libya.