The Turkish Government has decided to suspend the death sentence imposed last year on Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan.

The decision to delay sending the death sentence to Turkey's parliament for ratification follows a request by the European Court of Human Rights not to execute Ocalan until it reviews the case, which could take up to two years.

"We have decided to hold the [Ocalan] file at the prime ministry, but this period will not be indefinite," Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said after seven hours of talks with his nationalist and conservative coalition partners.

But Mr Ecevit warned the process to execute Ocalan could begin again at any time.

"If [Ocalan's] rebel organisation and its supporters attempt to use this process against the high interests of the state, then the process of delaying will be halted and the process of execution will be started immediately," he said.

Deep divisions

Turkey's three-party ruling coalition had been deeply divided with Mr Ecevit saying Turkey had an obligation to heed the court's request while his nationalist partners had wanted to give parliament the chance to ratify the sentence as soon as possible.

Correspondents say a failure to resolve the dispute could have meant the fall of Mr Ecevit's government.

But one of the main supporters of executing Ocalan, Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the hardline Nationalist Action Party (MHP) Devlet Bahceli, stood by Mr Ecevit as he made his announcement.

Mr Bahceli, who was elected in April on a platform demanding Ocalan's death, declined to comment on his support for the suspension.

EU pressure

Mr Ecevit had argued that hanging Ocalan would compromise Turkey's chances of becoming a full member of the European Union. The EU has urged Turkey to abolish the death penalty.

Early reaction from Italy's Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema on Wednesday indicated European approval of the decision not to press ahead with the execution.

"The choice confirms the evolution of Turkish politics towards Europe and its democratic principles," Mr D'Alema said.

But there is grassroots nationalist support for carrying out Ocalan's death sentence.

Our correspondent in Ankara, Chris Morris, says Mr Ecevit hopes that by persuading his coalition partners that they have to wait, a breathing space will have been created which will allow passions to cool.

Ocalan was sentenced to death for treason by a Turkish court in June, a ruling upheld in November by an appeal court.

He had led a 15-year war for autonomy in overwhelmingly Kurdish south-eastern Turkey, in which some 37,000 people were killed.