Athens - Jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan is seeking thousands of euros in compensation from Greece for Athens' role nearly a decade ago in his capture and imprisonment by Turkey, reports said Thursday. Ankara blames Ocalan for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people since the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) took up its fight against the Turkish state in 1984.
He has been held since his 1999 capture and conviction in an island prison at Imrali, south of Istanbul.
Turkey accused Ocalan of leading a violent campaign for Kurdish autonomy and has lashed out at Greece for its support for Kurdish rebels.
The Greek government has rejected Turkey's criticism, saying it has acted humanely and denies it has helped the rebels.
Ocalan was captured by Turkish commandos as he left the Greek embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, where he was being given shelter and protection.
Greece later granted asylum to two Ocalan aids, who were whisked from Nairobi to Athens by Greek agents in a clandestine operation.
Ocalan's Greek lawyer was quoted by the Greek daily newspaper Eleftheros Typos as saying that his client was seeking damages of 20,100 euros (25,700 dollars) for the Greek government's role in getting him captured by Turkish commandos, even though Athens had assured him of its protection.
Ocalan's capture forced the resignation of three Greek ministers in 1999 and sparked a violent uproar by Kurds across the world.
