Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz sought...

Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz sought to underline his pro-European credentials ahead of likely elections, accusing rival parties of half-hearted support for EU reforms.
Turkey's parliament is to convene on July 29 to ratify a decision to hold early elections, with November 3 the likely date, after ailing Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's government suffered mass defections.
Yilmaz, leader of the Motherland Party, a junior coalition partner, has led a drive to get parliament to ratify a set of reforms needed to start European Union membership talks before parliament breaks up for elections.
The newly-founded New Turkey Party, led by former foreign minister Ismail Cem, has also cast itself as pro-Western and dedicated to achieving Turkey's decades-old aim of joining the EU.
But Yilmaz said a recent round of meetings with other party leaders, including Cem, had revealed less than whole-hearted support.
"I have to say that, except for the (Islamist) Saadet Party, I saw none of the support they had promised from parties that had pledged unconditional support for EU reforms," Yilmaz said.
Yilmaz said he was concerned EU reforms, which include axing the death penalty and easing restrictions on Kurdish language education and broadcasting, would be buried in a rush to campaign if parliament votes for elections first.
He said it would be better for the reforms to be debated before the polls are ratified.
The New Turkey Party (YTP) in a statement said that it supported all of the proposals in the draft package of bills on adjustment with the European Union, contrary to new reports stating otherwise.