ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Flowers and legions of police greeted Italy`s Juventus as they arrived in Turkey`s biggest city for a soccer match that has become the popular focus of a fierce diplomatic row between Ankara and Rome. Italy`s refusal to extradite a Kurdish guerrilla chief has sparked a wave of anti-Italian sentiment in Turkey, placing severe strain on a rescheduled Champions League group B match between Galatasaray and Juventus. Galatasary fans at Istanbul airport chanted "Turkey, Turkey" and threw white lillies ahead of the Juventus bus as the Italian players looked out apprehensively. Many had expressed concern at playing in Turkey, where Italian flags have been burned in angry street protests. The match has already been delayed one week over security concerns. Turkish authorities have guaranteed the players` safety and police were posted at intervals all along the 30 km (19 mile) trip into downtown Istanbul. Some 22,000 police, gendarmes and troops, will be on duty ahead of kickoff at 1945 GMT, most of them at a distance from the stadium. Spectators will be searched at the stadium entrance for weapons and loose change will be confiscated. Italy and Turkey appeared to be moving towards a possible compromise in a row over Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan that has severely strained relations between the two NATO member states. Recent comments from Italian and Turkish leaders indicated that Italy, which has refused to extradite Ocalan, might agree to try the guerrilla leader in Italy with the agreement of Ankara. Italy arrested Ocalan on November 12 on a German warrant, but refuses to extradite him to Turkey, where he is held resonsible for over 29,000

deaths, as the Italian constitution bars the return of suspects to countries with the death penalty.