Turkey has re-opened its bitter diplomatic dispute with its Nato ally, Italy, about the fate of the PKK Kurdish rebel leader, Abdullah Ocalan.

Turkish Prime Minister, Bulent Ecevit, said on Sunday that Mr Ocalan has returned, or is returning, to Italy. The authorities in Rome said he left the country more than two weeks ago.

Italy has already strongly denied the prime minister's charge but the accusations are flying thick and fast.

Italy says Ocalan left by private plane two weeks ago

Ankara wants Mr Ocalan to face trial on charges of treason in Turkey. But Italy has rejected Ankara's request for Mr Ocalan's extradition on the grounds that he could face the death penalty if he was handed over.

Reliable source

Mr Ecevit said the report of Mr Ocalan's whereabouts came from an extremely reliable source in Italy.

He said the Italian authorities had never given Turkey proper information about Mr Ocalan and he suggested that the rebel leader may not have left Italy in the first place.

The Italian government was quick to deny the accusation. It emphasised that Mr Ocalan left Italy by private plane just over two weeks ago and that he will not return.

The search for Mr Ocalan has already taken on a farcicle aspect, with reports in the Turkish media placing him in countries in all corners of the world.

Hopes dashed

Now, any hopes that Italy had of smoothing over its row with Turkey seem to have been dashed. Mr Ecevit is basically accusing the Italians of lying.

It is hardly the right atmosphere in which to resume normal economic relations, which have been badly affected by an unofficial Turkish boycott of Italian goods.

Many Turks were deeply offended that Italy refused to extradite Mr Ocalan after he arrived in Rome in November and the scars still remain.

It all plays into the hands of people here who argue that Europe in general is deeply anti-Turkish and that it wants to keep Turkey at arm's length from the European Union.

Mr Ocalan arrived in Italy last November seeking political asylum.