TURKISH opposition plans for anti Islamist unity against the Prime Minister, Mr Necmettin Erbakan, faltered yesterday, dampening a government crisis over the function of both religion and the military.
The veteran left wing leader, Mr Bulent Ecevit, acknowledged that two other opposition figures had only loosely agreed to a plan to replace Mr Erbakan's coalition with a secularist alliance.
The main opposition leader, Mr Mesut Yilmaz, "found the idea of a broad based government too ambitious", Mr Ecevit told deputies from his Democratic Left Party. He also said his left wing rival, Mr Deniz Baykal, had not given a clear reply in a round of talks on Tuesday to his call for a shadow government that would oust Mr Erbakan.
The Prime Minister has come under heavy fire from Turkey's secularist power centres, led by the influential army, for plans to introduce Islam into public life.
Mr Erbakan has challenged his critics to elections, but many deputies in both the opposition and his Islamist based Welfare Party are wary of losing their seats.
Mr Erbakan has stalled on intense demands from the military to reverse a rise in Islamic sentiment under his rule. A general warned on Tuesday that Islamist extremism was a matter of "life or death" for the country.
The security establishment this week began a campaign against outlawed Islamist activities, regardless of Mr Erbakan.
Police have closed dozens of unlicensed illegal religious education centres and Ankara state security court put a leading Muslim preacher, close to Welfare, on trial for allegedly advocating harsh Islamic rule in Turkey.
The same court yesterday jailed 122 members of an Islamist group for up to four years for threatening Turkey's secular order. They were detained at a rowdy ceremony in Ankara last year at which they clashed with police.
In a further setback for Mr Erbakan, who was elected partly on a promise to cut military ties with Israel, the Turkish Defence Minister. Mr Turhan Tayan, began a visit to Israel yesterday, and held talks with the Israeli Defence Minister, Mr Yitzhak Mordechai.
Meanwhile, the Greek Foreign Minister, Mr Theodoros Pangalos, said Greece would work with Turkey to improve relations. His comments came a day after he announced Athens would maintain its veto on EU aid to Ankara.
Speaking in Istanbul after talks with the Turkish Foreign Minister, Ms Tansu Ciller, Mr Pangalos said Turkey belonged in Europe. "The future of Turkey is in the European family. We will work with dedication towards finding solutions and creating a climate of confidence," he said.