ROME (Reuters) - Prime Minister Massimo

D'Alema told Turkey's ambassador to

Rome Wednesday that Italy would stick to

the letter of the law over arrested Kurdish

rebel chief Abdullah Ocalan and hoped the

case would not harm ties between the two

NATO allies.

D'Alema spoke to ambassador Inal Batu

shortly after Turkish Prime Minister Mesut

Yilmaz said if Italy did not extradite the

guerrilla leader it would become an

accomplice to ``terrorism.''

A statement from D'Alema's office said the

prime minister had told the ambassador

that Italy ``had dealt with and would continue

dealing with (the Ocalan case) in full

respect of the principles of our judicial

procedures.''

D'Alema added that he hoped the thorny

diplomatic issue over the leader of the

outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)

``would not reflect negatively on relations

between the two countries.'' He reminded

the ambassador that Italy was one of the

staunchest backers of Ankara's bid to join

the European Union.

Yilmaz said earlier Wednesday that if Italy

did not hand over Ocalan ``...not only will it

remain a stain on their record, but they will

also become accomplices to every murder

ever committed by the PKK.''

Ocalan is being held in a secret location in

or near Rome after being arrested last

Thursday as he entered Italy with a false

passport. Turkey holds him responsible for

30,000 deaths in the PKK's 14-year

campaign for self-rule.

Reut10:54 11-18-98