Erbakan plays down talk of split

ISTANBUL - The Turkish Prime Minister, Mr Necmettin Erbakan, yesterday called for an end to speculation that his Islamist led…

ISTANBUL - The Turkish Prime Minister, Mr Necmettin Erbakan, yesterday called for an end to speculation that his Islamist led coalition is in danger of splitting over army demands for a crackdown on religious activism. "This country belongs to all of us," he said.

At issue are 18 directives from the National Security Council, charged under the constitution with safeguarding the secular system, aimed at choking off the growing influence of Islamists.

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