The attempted censure was backed by an alliance of the main opposition Islamists and a group of secularist dissidents.

Chris Morris in Ankara reports on the application to ban the Virtue Party

The speaker diverted another opposition motion, calling for the postponement of April's general election, to a sub-committee.

Turkey has been plagued by political crises in recent years, caused by indecisive elections and a series of weak coalition governments.

Abdullah Gul, vice-chairman of Virtue: Ban attempt is not important

The BBC Ankara Correspondent, Chris Morris, says that even the prime minister was surprised by the speed on Sunday with which rebel deputies rallied with a motion to postpone next month's elections.

Mr Ecevit cut short an election campaign visit to the western city of Izmir and hurried back to the capital, Ankara, when he received news of the postponement motion.

Sunday's session was eventually suspended after scuffles broke out between government deputies and their opponents, who jostled each other around the speaker's podium.

"In 75 years of the history of this republic, we have never seen the likes of this in parliament," conservative deputy Saffet Arikan Beduk was quoted as saying.

Application for constitutional ban on party

A Turkish prosecutor has applied for the closure of the pro-Islamist Virtue party - the biggest party in parliament - for violating the law on political activities.

Virtue grew out of the Islamist Welfare party, which was also shut down by the state, accused of plotting to impose Islamic rule.

The BBC Ankara Correspondent says that although Virtue has tried to cultivate a more moderate image than Welfare, it is still distrusted by Turkey's secular elite, especially by the military.

The Vice-Chairman of the Virtue Party, Abdullah Gul, says the attempted ban is not important, because there is not enough time to impose it before next month's elections.

Time of crisis

The crisis comes as Turkey tries to control sporadic street protests against the arrest last month of Kurdish rebel leader, Abdullah Ocalan.

Special forces clamp down on Kurds in Diyarbakir

Massive security precautions have been taken across the mainly Kurdish southeast of the country, which was virtually shut off from the outside world on Sunday. Unofficial celebrations of the Kurdish new year were banned.

Also on Sunday a bomb exploded on the main oil pipeline between Turkey and Iraq, causing what local officials called limited damage.

Correspondents say Mr Ecevit, who leads a small centre-left party, is riding a wave of popularity among Turkish voters in the wake of the arrest of Mr Ocalan.

Both Prime Minister Ecevit and armed forces chief General Huseyin Kivrikoglu have warned that a delay in elections could plunge Turkey into chaos.

Disgruntled-Islamist alliance

Our correspondent says Mr Ecevit's opponents have formed a strange alliance.

A group of secularists from various parties, known as the "disgruntled", have joined forces with Islamist politicians, who want to push through specific changes in the law.

The pro-Islamist Virtue Party had said only a few days ago that it wanted the elections to go ahead on 18 April.

Erbakan: a chance to overturn 5 year ban

Now it seems to have changed its mind, a victory for supporters of the former Prime Minister and Islamist leader, Necmettin Erbakan.

He has been banned from politics for five years but our correspondent says he evidently sees this as a chance to get the legal restrictions against him lifted.

Virtue is the largest party in parliament with 144 seats in the 550 seat chamber, while the "disgruntled" make up about 100 deputies.