Another boatload of illegal migrants has arrived in Italy after setting sail from Turkey. The Italian coastguard says there were more than 500 people on board, most of them Kurds. It was the second such incident in less than a week and it has led to concern that a new wave of Kurds seeking refugee status could be trying to reach Europe from Turkey. As our correspondent, Chris Morris reports from Ankara, there are plenty of theories but few hard facts about who is organising this new exodus:

There's a lot of money at stake in the smuggling trade. Some people pay thousands of dollars for the chance to reach Europe and there are allegations that the Turkish underworld is deeply involved.

Kurdish seperatist groups are also thought to play a significant role. They warned last week that 5,000 people had gathered in Istanbul to take the sea route to Europe.

A Kurdish television station based in London seemed to have advance knowledge of this latest arrival. It announced three days ago that another boat carrying hundreds of people from northern Iraq was on its way to Italy.

The two boats which have now reached Italy had carried Kurds from both Iraq and south eastern Turkey - neighbouring regions which have seen widespread clashes between the Turkish army and Kurdish rebels. A steady stream of new Kurdish asylum seekers in Europe could prove embarrassing for the Turkish government.

Its relations with the European Union are already severely strained after its request to be declared a formal candidate for EU membership was overlooked last month. Now the Italian government has said it's prepared to welcome Kurds who are fleeing persecution.