Thousands of people yesterday protested at a jail sentence imposed on the Islamist mayor of Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, in an angry demonstration that augurs ill for Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz's government. Meanwhile, Turkey's parliament voted to set up a commission to investigate Mr Yilmaz's wealth, which could lead to a Supreme Court trial on corruption charges.
"Government, resign!" some 5,000 demonstrators chanted outside Istanbul town hall in a rally of support for Mayor Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Mr Erdogan, sentenced on Tuesday to 10 months in jail for "inciting hatred" in a speech, and free on appeal, greeted the crowd from a balcony. He was flanked by Ankara's Islamist mayor, Mr Melih Gokcek, who also faces legal inquiries. Mr Erdogan (44), has risen in recent months to become potentially one of the main challengers to Mr Yilmaz. But Tuesday's verdict could put him out of politics for good if confirmed by a higher court.
The parliamentary decision to investigate Mr Yilmaz followed a vote last week to set up a similar inquiry into the conservative opposition leader, Ms Tansu Ciller, whose party brought yesterday's motion against Mr Yilmaz.