Turkey's coalition government had to deal with a number...

Turkey's coalition government had to deal with a number of controversial issues in Parliament, including the presidential elections and the death sentence of outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) chieftain Abdullah Ocalan. President Suleyman Demirel, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and the leader of the center-right coalition member Motherland Party (ANAP) Mesut Yilmaz had all previously stated that they want to abolish the death penalty. The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) wing of the coalition, however, wanted Ocalan to be hanged and then abolish the death penalty.