Bahceli claims govt is planning early elections

Opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli yesterday expressed his opposition to alleged plans of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to call for early elections if a top court decides to close the party down. "A careful, detailed analysis of the consequences of holding new general elections should be done," Bahceli told his deputies at a parliamentary group meeting. Commenting on the premier's recent warning to AKP members that "once you step off this train, you can't get back on," Bahceli claimed that the AKP leader had lost his confidence in his deputies. In addition, Bahceli criticized recent bugging and wiretaps of high-level state officials, urging the government to prevent this from happening again.