Turkey's powerful generals issued a pointed warning to squabbling politicians yesterday that they should avoid comments that could draw the army into politics.
The warning, from the strongly secularist "General Staff", appeared directed at the Islamist Virtue Party. But it reflected broader worries over uncertainty that has followed the collapse of Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz's government on his resignation last week.
The general staff, which has an established role as "guardian" of the secularist order, urged political leaders in a statement to "show the necessary care and sensitivity" in negotiations to form a new government.
"We consider it beneficial that anyone with responsibility should inform the public in the correct way and should avoid statements which could draw the armed forces into politics," the statement, reported by the state-owned Anatolian agency, said. "It is out of the question to say the Turkish armed forces likes one party over another."
The comments followed reported remarks by Mr Recai Kutan, head of the Islamist Virtue Party. The Milliyet daily quoted Mr Kutan on Saturday as saying: "I have higher chances than Yilmaz to form the new government . . . I have no worries about the military. We are seeing signs that the military likes the policies of our party."
According to convention, Mr Kutan, as head of the largest party in parliament, should be given the first opportunity to form a new government. The general staff statement could be interpreted by secularist parties as a caution against offering concessions to Virtue for tacit or active backing in breaking a deadlock.
Even mainstream secularist leaders like Mr Yilmaz of the Motherland Party and former prime minister, Ms Tansu Ciller, of the rival True Path would be ill advised to publicly claim the favour of the military. Such a boast from the head of an Islamist party might seem close to foolhardy.
Turkey's powerful armed forces have a history of involvement in politics, launching three military coups between 1960 and 1980. Pressure from the generals led to the downfall of the country's first Islamist-led government in June last year.
Mr Yilmaz appeared on national television later on Monday to list what he saw as his government's achievements in 16 months in power.
The general staff, invoking secular state founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, made clear it would not tolerate any flirtation with political Islam.
Turkish troops killed seven Kurdish separatist rebels in clashes overnight in the south-east of the country, officials said yesterday.
The clashes came days after the military suffered a heavy blow with the shooting down of one of its helicopters by Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) guerrillas, killing 16 soldiers. Four PKK guerrillas were killed late on Sunday when troops fought five rebels on the main road between the south-east's regional capital, Diyarbakir, and the neighbouring city of Mardin, an official from the Mardin governor's office said.
PKK leader, Mr Abdullah Ocalan, currently under house arrest in Italy, last week threatened his group could escalate its 14year conflict with Turkey.