Kurdish rallies have been held in several European cities

Turkey has called on its citizens to send an

avalanche of faxes to Italy demanding the return of

Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan.

And post offices are offering free

faxes for anyone writing to the

Italian authorities.

The fax blitz is the latest tactic in

a diplomatic row which blew up

following the arrest of Kurdish leader Abdullah

Ocalan in Rome.

Turkey wants Mr Ocalan extradited, but Italian law

forbids extradition to countries that retain the death

penalty.

Turkish Transport and

Communications Minister

Ahmet Denizolgun said:

"We have launched this

campaign to help our

citizens express their

wishes about the

extradition of the terrorist

chief who is responsible

for 30,000 deaths."

Earlier Turkish Prime

Minister Mesut Yilmaz

called on the millions of

Turks living in Europe to

demonstrate their support for the government's

position.

Mr Ocalan, who has applied for political asylum, is

leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)

which is fighting for Kurdish autonomy in south

east Turkey.

In an interview on Wednesday Mr Ocalan said he

had come to Italy in the hope of putting

international pressure on Turkey to seek a

peaceful solution to its 14-year old war with the

Kurds.

"We have abandoned terrorism and are ready for a

peace accord," he told the newspaper La

Repubblica. "My presence here testifies to a

change in the strategy of the Kurdish national

movement."

PKK activists set themselves on fire

The crisis has sparked a series of demonstrations

across Europe.

Protests in Turkey by

Kurdish activists turned

violent on Tuesday, while

two PKK activists in

Moscow set themselves

on fire. One later died in

hospital.

Thousands of Kurdish

demonstrators also

marched through the

centre of Rome in support

of Mr Ocalan.

In Brussels two policemen were hurt and buildings

set alight when Turks in the Belgian capital

demonstrated in favour of Mr Ocalan's extradition.

But Italian Premier Massimo D'Alema defended

Italy's right to grant asylum saying it was a ''great

European tradition''.

"Whatever we decide should not be interpreted as

a hostile act against Turkey, but as an act of

respect for our own laws, our history, our values,"

he added.

But he said Italy would have to be convinced Mr

Ocalan had renounced terrorist activities.

Plans to abolish death penalty

Mr Ocalan fled abroad in 1980 after the army

staged a coup and has lived in exile ever since.

He has been on the run since he left Syria last

month, after Turkey threatened to take military

action against Damascus.

He was detained at Rome's Fiumicino airport after

flying in from Moscow on a false passport,

according to Italian police.

He was arrested because both Turkey and

Germany have issued arrest warrants for him.

The situation is complicated by Italy's obligations

to fellow EU-member Germany, where an

extradition request is reportedly being prepared.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Government is planning

legislation to abolish capital punishment in an

attempt to secure Mr Ocalan's extradition.

BBC 18 nov 98 13H47 GMT