The Palestine Chronology

Turkish MP Yildirim Aktuna of the True Path party resigns, leaving the Erbakan government with 275 seats in the 550-mbr. parliament, 1 short of those needed to win a confidence vote. (2 seats are vacant.) Early elections may be called. (WT 5/31)

In the Golan, 2 Austrian UN soldiers are shot dead most likely, according to the UN, by smugglers traveling btwn. Lebanon, Syria. Syria accuses the Mossad; Israel denies involvement. (Der Standard [Vienna] 6/1 in WNC 6/3; RMC 6/5 in WNC 6/6; Wiener Zeitung [Vienna] 6/10 in WNC 6/11; Kurier [Vienna] 6/19 in WNC 6/23)

IDF soldier is killed in a Hizballah mortar attack in s. Lebanon. (VOL 5/30, 6/1 in WNC 6/3; JP 6/7)

In a 3d incident, 7 Hizballah gunmen halt 2 UNIFIL vehicles in s. Lebanon; disarm, threaten the UN soldiers. (AFP, RL 5/30 in WNC 6/2) (see 5/29)

The Israeli navy removes 2 Lebanese fishermen fr. their boat off the coast of s. Lebanon, interrogates them for several hours before releasing them. (RL 5/30 in WNC 6/2)

Joint EA, PLO Exec. Comm. mtg. convenes. (VOP 6/29 in FBIS 7/1; PR 7/12)

IDF changes its open-fire rules for the West Bank, Gaza, permitting soldiers to shoot PA policemen if they feel their lives are threatened. (QY 6/28 in FBIS 6/28)

Turkey's Islamic Welfare Party leader, Necmettin Erbakan, becomes PM, head of ruling coalition with fmr. PM Tansu Ciller's True Path party. The parliament has 2 wks. to give the government a vote of confidence. Erbakan has vowed previously to annul Turkey's military pact with Israel. (WP, WT 6/29; NYT, WP, WT 6/30) (see 6/11)