Turkey, Lebanon deny press reports on Ocalan existence in Lebanon

Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit on Thursday denied a Turkish press report "defining" the place where chairman of the Kurdistan Workers Party Abdullah Ocalan exist in "a Middle Eastern country," a matter which raised numerous rumors that this country may be Lebanon or Iraq.

Ajawid stressed that there is "no new information" on Ocalan's location and described the report of his presence in a Middle Eastern country as "a rumor."

Since the Kurdish leader left Rome on January 16, to a destination which has not been disclosed, the Turkish dailies started, on weekly basis, publishing reports based on "information" of his presence in a certain country. The countries so far indicated by these reports are South Africa, Greece, Russia, Armenia, Estonia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Yemen, Kuwait and North Korea.

Well-informed Kurdish sources told the London based al-Hayat daily that the Kurdish leader "is still in his new secret residence in one of the European states" and that he is committed to a "gentleman's agreement with officials of the hosting country in that not to make any statements not to contact the press or any political organization including his own organization until unlimited time."

The source which is close to Ocalan said the new arrangement between Ocalan and the country which hosts him concluded at the mediation and support of Italy.

In Beirut, Lebanese Prime Minister Salim al-Hoss said that "news published on the existence of Ocalan in Lebanon are baseless."

Al-Hoss added that such false news reports were published several days ago and that he contacted the security general directorate in Lebanon about this matter which was categorically denied by the Lebanese security directorate.