ANKARA, June 2: Turkey's pro-Islamic Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan agreed on Sunday to swap places with his pro-West deputy Tansu Ciller, hoping to placate the military and help their coalition survive until early elections.Under the power-sharing deal that gave Erbakan the helm of the first Islamic-led government in Turkey 11 months ago, he and Ciller were to trade places in July 1998.

But with Erbakan's anti-secular moves angering the country's powerful generals as well as sparking defections from Ciller's True Path Party, the two announced that she would take over later this month. No exact date for power transfer was announced, and True Path and Erbakan's Welfare Party are still haggling over when to hold elections.

Ciller said she would take over the premiership in the second half of June. Erbakan has to resign to allow President Suleyman Demirel to designate Ciller.

However, the procedure might not go smoothly. Newspapers have been speculating that Demirel, who is also upset with the government's Islamic policies, will see to it that the Welfare-True Path coalition does not return to power once Erbakan steps down.

Demirel said the constitution did not define a power swap procedure as planned between Ciller and Erbakan and that he would follow the constitutional traditions when designating the premier.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.