The fate of a fiscal reform law to tighten the Turkish government's budget discipline may depend on two crucial votesas the ruling AK Party struggles to stay in power next year.
The government on Wednesday postponed the planned passage of the legislation to beyond the next general election, which is due by July 2011. The postponement will give it leeway to spend more freely and prompted warnings from credit rating agencies that deficit-reduction plans may be diluted.
An opinion poll by Turkey's Sonar on Wednesday showed voters narrowly rejecting the reforms with a projected "no" vote of 50.9 percent and a "yes" vote of 49.1 percent. The ruling AK party could also lose the election.
For more: SCENARIOS-Turkish fiscal reform may depend on two votes | Reuters