[01] CONTROVERSY OVER OCALAN'S EXTRADITION ANNOYS ANKARA

During yesterday's meeting between Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini and Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail

Cem in Rome, Dini did not convey a positive attitude towards the extradition of the PKK leader Abdullah

Ocalan. The Italian government will probably grant political asylum to Ocalan, the La Repubblica newspaper

reported yesterday, as well. The paper quoted government sources, however, it said that no decision had yet

been made. Dini said that Turkey's demand for the extradition of Ocalan is being discussed at the related

commissions of the Interior Ministry.

Ankara reacted at the highest level against the matter. Turkish Defense Minister Ismet Sezgin issued an oblique

warning to Italy that it may face exclusion from lucrative defense industry contracts if it does not extradite

Ocalan. Sezgin and Cem, in Rome for a ministerial meeting of the Western European Union (WEU), are

expected to discuss the issue with their Italian counterparts.

Turkish Justice Minister Hasan Denizkurdu submitted a draft bill to the Prime Minister yesterday to abolish the

death sentence and gain the extradition of Ocalan. "If it is enacted by the Parliament, the death sentence will be

lifted" Denizkurdu told reporters after meeting Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz yesterday. Turkey has not carried

out any executions since 1984. The proposal to abolish the death sentence will be debated in the Cabinet either

Tuesday or Wednesday, Denizkurdu said. /All papers /All papers_

[02] PROTESTS IN TURKEY

The attacks on Turkish reporters by the PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan's supporters in Rome on Saturday and the

indifference of the Italian police were protested against in Ankara yesterday. Demonstrators, who carried

Turkish flags and Ataturk posters, laid a black wreath in front of the Italian Embassy in Ankara. In Rome,

Turkish journalists protested against the attacks in front of the Italian Foreign Ministry 'Farnesina' and sent a

joint statement of protest to Italian press institutions.

Meanwhile, a man holding a passport of an Arab country was detained by Italian security forces after he drew

suspicions by wandering around the Turkish Embassy in Rome. A sketch of the Embassy was found in his

pockets after the check. The entries and exits of the embassy building were highlighted on the sketch. While the

man was being interrogated, the Italian gendarmery stepped up security around the Embassy. The exact identity

and nationality of the man was not clear.

PKK supporters staged demonstrations in support of the PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan in a number of European

capitals, including Rome, Moscow, Nicosia, Sofia and Bucharest, as well as an array of German cities. /All

papers/

[03] SURPRISING STATEMENT BY ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER

Italian Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema said in a statement regarding the extradition of the PKK leader

Abdullah Ocalan to Turkey: "We cannot extradite anyone to a country where there is the death sentence. We

cannot approve of any threat or pressure". D'Alema held a press conference yesterday. He described the leader

of the PKK terrorist organization Ocalan as the Kurdish leader. He said: "The juridical process concerning

Ocalan has started. The final word will be given by the Justice Ministry. Regarding political asylum, there is an

authorized commission and its decision will be valid". He noted that the Kurdish leader has said that he declared

a cease-fire. D'Alema added: "If he guarantees that he will not carry out any terrorist activities, we can assume a

mediation role for a poltical solution to the issue". /Sabah/

[04] BRITAIN: "AN IMPORTANT STEP IS TAKEN

Britain has stated that they welcome the arrest of the leader of the PKK terrorist organization Abdullah Ocalan

in Italy. According to a statement made by the British State Department, the arrest of the PKK leader was an

important step in the struggle against terrorism. The statement said: "The British government has denounced

terrorism on many occasions". /Sabah/

[05] ITALIAN LAWYER IN TURKEY

Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz furnished information about the developments concerning the extradition

of the PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan from Italy to Turkey to journalists yesterday. Yilmaz noted that during a

meeting of the Council of Ministers to be held today, legal procedures would be finalized and they would be

announced to the public. Yilmaz recalled that the PKK leader would remain under arrest for 10 days in Italy and

Turkey's demand was conveyed to Italy through diplomatic means.

Yilmaz stated that some questions were posed to the Turkish Justice Ministry by the Italian Justice Ministry and

said that regarding these issues meetings with some Italian lawyers were being held and within this framework

an Italian lawyer would arrive in Ankara today. Yilmaz pointed out that while the Turkish Justice and Interior

Ministries were preparing the file for the extradition of Ocalan, they would consult the Italian lawyer. /Sabah/

[09] US ASKS ITALY TO EXTRADITE OCALAN

The US administration insists that PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan is not a "political criminal but a leader of a

terrorist organization" and that he should be given the 'right of political asylum" neither in Italy nor in any

country in the world. The US Spokesman of the Secretary of State, James Rubin said yesterday that the US

administration welcomed Ocalan's arrest which was an important step in the struggle against terrorism.

/Milliyet/

[10] GREEK SUPPORT FOR THE PKK

PKK demonstrators started a hunger strike for the release of Abdullah Ocalan in the Klatmenos Square in

Athens. It is reported that Greek parliamentarians sometimes attend the demonstrations in support of the PKK

terrorists. PASOK deputy Kostas Banduvan went yesterday to Rome to convey a message to the Italian

administration inviting Ocalan to Greece. It is also announced that some Greek Parliamentarians will attend a

PKK demonstration today in Athens. /Cumhuriyet/

[11] WEU MEETING IN ROME

A Council of Ministers of the Western European Union (WEU) meeting, which foreign and defense ministers of

the member countries are attending, began yesterday in Rome. During the two-day meeting at which Turkey is

being represented by Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and Defense Minister Ismet Sezgin, the Kosovo issue, recent

developments in Albania and the structure of the organization are going to be discussed. /Cumhuriyet/

[13] TURKISH BUSINESS CONDEMNS ITALY

Turkey's leading business and trade associations have condemned Italy for holding the leader of the PKK

terrorist organization Abdullah Ocalan. The Union of Turkish Trade Chambers and Commodity Exchanges

(TOBB), the Economic Development Foundation (IKV), the Council of Foreign Economic Relations (DEIK)

and the International Trade Chamber's (MTO) Turkish National Committee sent a joint letter to Italy's trade

chamber union chairman Danilo Longhi. The letter said: "Keeping the leader of a bloody terrorist organization

that has killed 30,000 people, including women and children, and which directs drug trafficking in the region,

means that Italy will share his crimes. If, in spite of these undeniable facts, Ocalan is not extradited by Italy to

Turkey, we convey to our Italian counterparts that we, as the top official representatives of the Turkish private

sector, are determined to review our economic and commercial relations with Italy and boycott Italian made

goods".

Meanwhile, the president of one of Turkey's top companies, Koc Holding A.S.'s Rahmi Koc, sent a letter to Fiat

President Paolo Fresco demanding that all necessary actions be taken to facilitate the extradition of Ocalan to

Turkey. Rahmi Koc protested against the beating of Turkish journalists in Rome by PKK militants. The

militants were reportedly not restrained by Italian police. /All papers/

_p>KARABUK DEPUTY JOINS DYP

Karabuk Deputy Sinasi Altiner, who resigned from the Motherland Party (ANAP) on Saturday, joined the True

Path Party (DYP) yesterday. Thus, the number of DYP deputies in Parliament increased to 97. /Sabah/