An opposition Islamic party has called for a no-confidence vote against beleaguered Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit.

The latest twist in Turkey's long drawn-out political crisis came as deputies were called back from their summer recess to vote on Monday on early elections.

Istanbul: Turkey has long desired to join the EU

Ailing Mr Ecevit, 77, reluctantly agreed last week to early elections on 3 November, after his coalition government lost its parliamentary majority earlier this week.

The Saadet Party may struggle to get their no-confidence vote on Monday because the agenda has already been set.

Parliamentary speaker Omer Izgi recalled the deputies after the pro-Islamic Justice and Development Party and former Prime Minister Tansu Ciller's True Path Party collected the 110 signatures needed to reconvene parliament, said Turkish news agency Anatolia.

If the elections are confirmed, the two opposition parties want to debate and push through legislative reforms needed for Turkey's membership of the European Union.

They fear that political paralysis will delay the reforms.

Economic crises

Anatolia said Mr Ecevit and his coalition partners have decided to boycott Monday's Ankara session.

That could leave less than the minimum 184 MPs needed for a quorum.

Mr Ecevit has lost more than 60 members of his governing coalition, leaving him with only 275 seats in the 550-seat parliament.

Former Foreign Minister Ismail Cem: High-profile defector (AP)

Key figures to have quit include the pro-European former Foreign Minister Ismail Cem.

Last week, he said he was setting up a rival party with Deputy Prime Minister Husamettin Ozkan, who also resigned, and Economy Minister Kemal Dervis.

Mr Cem said that if returned to power he would implement reforms stalled in the present government, but vital for Turkey to open EU talks.

The crisis was triggered by Mr Ecevit's ill health, which has kept him away from office since early May.

But Turkey also faces pressing problems on the economic front. The country has been hit by a number of crises, most recently last year - and has been bailed out by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Doubts over Mr Ecevit's health have also been worrying the stock market and investors.