Rome - In its first official reaction to the arrest in Italy of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader, Mr Abdullah Ocalan, the Vatican confirmed yesterday it recognises "the situation and aspirations" of the Kurdish people, writes Paddy Agnew. The senior Vatican spokesman, Dr Joaquin Navarro-Valls, was responding to questions about a letter reportedly written last week by the PKK leader to Pope John Paul, seeking his help in finding a peaceful resolution of the Kurdish question.
Mr Ocalan was arrested in Rome airport 12 days ago on the basis of international arrest warrants issued by Turkey and Germany. His subsequent release produced a crisis in Italian-Turkish relations. Italy refuses to deport him because of a constitutional ban on extradition to countries (such as Turkey) which have the death penalty on their statute books.
Last Friday Rome's Court of Appeals ruled that Mr Ocalan could move to a private residence near Rome so long as he reported daily to police, a decision which infuriated Anakara. Since arriving in Rome, Mr Ocalan has asserted his willingness to lay down the gun and seek a peaceful solution to the Kurdish question.