Earlier, Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said on Friday that outside pressure on Turkey not to execute Ocalan could backfire, the state-run Anatolian news agency said. The EU left Turkey out of its eastward expansion in 1997, citing the country's shaky human rights record high among its concerns. The Turkish Government will this month try to pass special legislation that would commute death sentences to life in jail and encourage followers of the condemned Kurdish rebel chief Abdullah Ocalan to surrender. Mr Ecevit promised the legislation before elections in April and following Ocalan's capture in Kenya in February. But, in fact, Mr Ecevit faces strong opposition from his coalition partner, the Nationalist Movement Party, which says the bill should not be placed on the priority list, in light of the death sentence handed down on Ocalan.
Party members argue a postponement is necessary to avoid adverse public reaction.
Under the proposed law, capital punishment would be converted to life in prison, life sentences would be reduced to 15 years, and jail terms of 15 years or less would be cut to six years. The law would mean freedom for many rebels now in jail, and reduced terms for others. Ocalan, who was sentenced to death on Tuesday, would benefit from the proposed law only if it were applied retrospectively. But an amendment to this effect might be an option later, with Turkey facing intense European pressure not to hang Ocalan. European countries have severely criticised the death sentence, warning that executing Ocalan would harm future attempts by Turkey to join the European Union.