ANKARA (Reuters)–A key Turkish parliamentary powerbroker said on Wednesday he was prepared to topple Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz’s minority coalition–stained by allegations of corruption.
"We are ready to do whatever is necessary to remove the government from office," Republican People’s Party leader Deniz Baykal told reporters in an interview broadcast live on TV.
Baykal and his 54 members of parliament hold the balance of power in NATO member Turkey’s parliament. They have kept Yilmaz’s government in power since it came to office June 1997.
Baykal has called for the government to resign over allegations of a businessman that Yilmaz and the economy minister interfered in the sell-off of a major bank.
Yilmaz has refused to resign. He called the allegations "a plot" against him and said Baykal had been too quick to judge the truth of the accusations.
"If this government remains in office it is not possible to clear up these claims," Baykal said.