Turkey's consulate in Aleppo, however, is still functioning, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Selcuk Unal said.

CNN: Annan says Syrian crisis can't 'drag on indefinitely'

Instead, Mr Ecevit has pushed out two trusted technocrats, the governor of the central bank, Gazi Ercel, and a treasury under-secretary, Selcuk Demiralp.

ECONOMIST: Turkey

"We asked the French to step up security around our diplomatic missions in France, " said Selcuk Unal, a spokesman for the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

No less a figure than Sami Selcuk, the president of Turkey's Supreme Appeals Court, last month told an audience which included the country's president, prime minister and chief of staff that the 1982 constitution should be scrapped.

ECONOMIST: Turkey��s Kurds: Still on their feet | The