TURKEY: TANSU CILLER CORRUPTION PROBE UPDATE

(23 Nov 1998) Turkish/Nat A Turkish parliamentary committee on Monday opposed moving ahead with a corruption probe of Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz and one of his longtime political rivals, former premier Tansu Ciller, who is accused of amassing a fortune from irregular bank deals. The vote showed the political alliances being tested in the run up to a confidence vote on Wednesday which is expected to bring down the government of Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz. A Turkish Parliamentary Committee recommended dropping plans to investigate Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, on Monday. Critics claim that the Premier has links to organised crime groups. Also shelved were investigations into alleged financial irregularities by Yilmaz' predecessor Tansu Ciller. The moves came as parties manoeuvred ahead of a no-confidence vote due to be held against Yilmaz on Wednesday. Analysts believe Yilmaz could seek a governing coalition with his former opponent, Ciller's True Path Party, if he loses the confidence vote. Ciller's party and Yilmaz' Motherland Party both voted against initiating the investigations. The government is seeking to play down the confidence vote. A spokesman for the ruling Motherland party told journalists that Turkey had more pressing matters to attend to - a reference to their ongoing diplomatic argument with Italy over Abdullah Ocalan. SOUNDBITE: (Turkish) "The 55th government is continuing its duties. We dot not consider it appropriate to assess a new government formula until the vote of confidence has been taken. Turkey is rightly angry with Italy who is treating Apo (Ocalan's nickname) as a guest." SUPERCAPTION: Yasar Okuyan, Deputy chairman of Motherland Party Turkey wants to try the head of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or P-K-K, for his part in a 14-year war in the southeast of the country that has killed some 37-thousand people. But Ocalan is seeking asylum in Italy, which has so far refused to extradite him. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...