Tensions were rising between the members of Turkey's...

Tensions were rising between the members of Turkey's coalition government over the fate of Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan, who had been sentenced to death by a Turkish court. The three-party coalition government [Democratic Left Party (DSP), Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), and Motherland Party (ANAP)] had to decide whether to submit the case to a parliamentary vote, or to delay further action on the case to allow the ECHR to assess it - a process which could take up to two years. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit (DSP) and ANAP leader Mesut Yilmaz were in favour of delaying the execution until the EHCR ruling, but the far-right MHP's deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli was calling for Oacalan to hang. Some members of the coalition government believe that executing Ocalan would deal a severe blow to Turkey's improved relations with the EU, which accepted Turkey as a candidate for membership at its Helsinki summit in December 1999. A number of European leaders have made it clear that the execution of Ocalan would set back Turkey's candidacy, and have called for the abolition of the death penalty.