ANKARA - Ankara State Security Court (DGM) No. 2 commuted on Thursday death sentence of Abdullah Ocalan, the head of the terrorist organization, into heavy life imprisonment under the law which annulled death sentence except war or wartime threat.
The court decision said, ''since the crime on charges of which Abdullah Ocalan was sentenced to death sentence under Article 125 of the Turkish Penal Code was not committed during a war or close war threat, a decision about implementation of first article of law no 4,771 has to be taken regarding him.''
Ankara DGM No. 2 stated that it returned the case file regarding Ocalan, who was sentenced to death penalty, to the Prime Ministry Directorate General of Personnel and Principles to make necessary procedures under the temporary first article of the law on amendment to law no 4,771.
The court which commuted Ocalan's death sentence into heavy life imprisonment said that Ocalan could not benefit from provisions of conditional release of the Anti-Terrorism Law and Law on Execution of Punishments and decided that Ocalan should be kept in prison till he dies.
The court decided to send a copy of the verdict to Ocalan.
The decision was taken unanimously.
Ankara DGM No. 2 had sentenced Ocalan to death penalty on June 29, 1999 on charges that Ocalan ''ruled and led the terrorist organization he set up with his orders and instructions and decisions, and staged actions to separate a part of the territory of Turkey from the state administration.''
The Supreme Court Ninth Criminal Department which debated the appeal request upheld the death sentence on November 25, 1999.
The file which came to the local court was later sent to the Justice Ministry to be presented to the Office of Parliament Speaker. The Justice Ministry then sent the file to the Prime Ministry.
The file which was kept waiting at the Prime Ministry was returned to DGM after the law no 4,771 entered into force.