The German Chancellor, Mr Gerhard Schroder, confirmed that Germany will not seek the extradition from Italy of the Kurdish leader, Mr Abdullah Ocalan. Speaking after a meeting in Bonn with the Italian Prime Minister, Mr Massimo D'Alema, the Chancellor said that extraditing Mr Ocalan could be a threat to Germany's internal security.
"I asked my Italian colleague for forbearance in view of the fact that Germany will not be issuing an extradition warrant in this case. The reason is that, of all the countries in Europe, Germany has the greatest number of Kurds, many of them refugees, and of Turks," he said.
Mr Ocalan was arrested when he arrived in Rome two weeks ago, starting a row with Ankara which wants to try him on treason charges. Italy refuses to hand him over to a country where he would face the death penalty if convicted.
As Mr Schroder spoke, 10,000 Kurds demonstrated in Bonn in support of Mr Ocalan and to mark the 20th anniversary of the foundation of the PKK.
The Italian Defence Minister, Mr Carlo Scognamiglio, said that Ocalan could be expelled from Italy following Germany's refusal to ask for his extradition.
