So it was for the widowed sister-in-law of Ahmet Turk, leader of Turkey's largest pro-Kurdish party, the Democratic Society Party.

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It is also thought Mr Erdogan needs the support of the pro-Kurdish BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) to achieve his ambition of becoming Turkish president.

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Several prominent members of the pro-Kurdish BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) had joined the strike, but party figures said they would heed Mr Ocalan's call.

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Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Turkey 's new president, overruled a military-inspired decree permitting the government to sack bureaucrats it considered not secular enough, or too pro-Kurdish.

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But Turkey's other main parties are doing even worse: the same poll shows Mr Ecevit's Democratic Left running last, behind the pro-Kurdish People's Democracy Party, which also faces a possible ban.

ECONOMIST: Turkey