Free, but now what?

By Samia Nkrumah

Turkish youths burn an Italian-made football outfit in front of the Italian Embassy in Ankara earlier this week in protest against Rome's refusal to extradite PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan (photo: AP)

Italy formally rejected Turkey's attempts to secure Ocalan's extradition after Rome's Court of Appeals confirmed that the constitution forbids extradition to countries such as Turkey where the death penalty is still in force.

But Germany's reluctance to press for the extradition of the Kurdish leader, despite its renewed arrest warrant, leaves Italy little room for manoeuvre. Italian officials argue that in absence of a German extradition request, there is no legal reason for putting Ocalan in jail. As one analyst, speaking to Al-Ahram Weekly, privately commented: "There is no direct relationship between Ocalan's terrorism and Italy. He has not committed acts of terrorism in this country." Nevertheless, there is a growing sense that the Italian government is looking for a middle-way to deal with this conflict.

From the moment Ocalan was arrested, Italy has adopted a cautious attitude in its statements addressed to Turkey. Officials have maintained that any decisions taken were based on law and not political considerations. Italy has also shown restraint in responding to Turkish threats. "It would be undignified to go against our constitution and bow to commercial threats," was Italian Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema's mild, yet firm, response to Turkey's vociferous threats of an economic boycott of Italian goods and defence deals.

The fact of the matter is that Italians are not too worried about Turkish economic reprisals. After all, while Italy is Turkey's main trading partner after Germany, Turkey is number 20 in Italy's list of trading partners. Less than two per cent of Italy's exports go to Turkey. Of greater concern to officials in Rome is the prospect of immigrants fighting a battle on their soil, which is why they are treading carefully.

"It's one thing to refuse Ocalan's extradition to Turkey, but it's another thing to grant him political asylum," Italian political analyst Antonio Gambino told the Weekly. "There must be clear rules about what he can and cannot do if he is eventually granted asylum. Italy must not be transformed into a centre of Kurdish or any other political activities."

Italy is banking on European support in an attempt to find a clear position. So far, Austria, in its capacity as EU president, has issued a statement commending Italy on its stance. However, some Italian politicians want more. They are essentially campaigning for a special European commission to come out with a common European position on this matter.

"The Ocalan case must be viewed from a wider perspective. Ocalan is part of a big picture of the migration from the South. This whole issue originates with the huge migration from the South to the North. And Italy is the south of the North, therefore, it's particularly vulnerable. Italy is embroiled in a dilemma similar to the one Germany had to grapple with vis-à-vis Eastern Europe," said Gambino.

Ocalan, in his bid for asylum in Italy, has declared that he is renouncing the use of force. He is now emphasising his commitment to a political solution rather than military operations to address the plight of Kurds in Turkey. Upon being freed from detention, he called on his supporters in Rome to go back to their homes and fight for their cause through legal and democratic means. The PKK leader also wrote to Pope John Paul II this week in an attempt to enlist the Vatican's help in finding a peaceful settlement to the issue of Kurdish rights.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister D'Alema has called on Turkey to consider conducting talks with the PKK, provided the group renounces terrorism and sticks to its promise. Angelo Bolaffi, a journalist with the Italian weekly il Mond, says Italy should capitalise on Turkish aspirations to join the EU in 2000 and use the Ocalan case as a platform to play a part in resolving the Kurdish problem in Turkey. He says Italy is in a better position to play a mediating role than Germany, with its 1.5 million Turkish immigrants and 500,000 Kurds. "While being careful not to anger Turkey, we should make clear the important economic and political advantages it would gain by taking a decisive step onto the road to democracy and rule of law," Bolaffi said.