Turkish-Belgian extradition row

Ankara wants Fehriye Erdal to face a court in Turkey

By Chris Morris in Ankara

Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit has accused Belgium of bowing to terrorism for refusing to extradite a Turkish woman wanted in Turkey for a high-profile murder.

Turkey has been demanding that Belgium return Fehriye Erdal to face trial, but the Belgian authorities refuse to extradite anyone to a country where capital punishment is still permitted.

Ms Erdal is believed to be a member of an extreme left-wing group which claimed responsibility for the murder in 1996 of one of Turkey's leading industrialists, Ozdemir Sabanci, and two of his colleagues.

Mr Ecevit has clearly lost patience with the Belgian judicial system. He said Ms Erdal was being treated like an honoured guest and Belgium was bowing to a terrorist group responsible for many deaths.

Ms Erdal is believed to be a member of an extreme left-wing group which claimed responsibility for the murder in 1996 of one of Turkey's leading industrialists, Ozdemir Sabanci, and two of his colleagues.

Boycott

The Belgian authorities are considering sending Ms Erdal to a third country or putting her on trial for offences committed on Belgian soil. But Turkey is still demanding her extradition.

Mr Ecevit described the attitude of the Belgian authorities as distressing and said it was not the behaviour which Turkey expected from a western European country.

In fact, Turkey has been in a similar position before. Nearly two years ago it reacted furiously when Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan arrived in Rome and Italy refused to extradite him.

Turkish consumer groups reacted by launching a boycott of Italian products and now they are organising a similar campaign against Belgium.