Seventh resignation leaves Turkey teetering

TURKEY'S foreign minister one of the country's most popular politicians - resigned yesterday dealing a critical blow to ailing Premier Bulent Ecevit's chances of survival.

Ismail Cem was the seventh Cabinet minister to leave Mr Ecevit’s administration since Monday.

Economy minister Kemal Dervis, the architect of Turkey’s economic recovery programme, submitted his resignation but said later that at the request of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer he agreed for his “resignation not to be put into effect”.