Turkish commandos ware called out yesterday (March 28) to join police in a massive manhunt for the three British radar technicians kidnapped at Unye, on the Turkish Black Soa coast, on Sunday night (March 26) in what appeared to be a move by guerrillas to thwart the execution of three convicted colleagues.

And shortly afterwards, the Turkish Prime Minister Nihat Erim announced that his government was determined not to submit to blackmail. Security forces throughout the country have been put on full alert.

The search for the three Britons is being concentrated in the arid mountains of north-eastern Turkey where jet aircraft and helicopters tried to pinpoint guerrilla hideouts. Navy un???s patrolled the coast to block off the sea escape route. Meanwhile, the Martial Law Command in Ankara, the capital, has offered a 100,000 lire (nearly GBP3,000 sterling) reward for information about the kidnappers.

As the search went on, it became clear that the death sentences on the three Turks convicted of attempting to overthrow the government will not be carried out until next Tuesday. The trio was also convicted of kidnapping five American servicemen last year and of taking part in two bank robberies.

The leaders of the kidnapping are believed to be the same who abducted and killed Israeli Consul-General Ephraim Elrom last May. Later they were captured but managed to escape from a maximum security military prison in Istanbul on November 30.

SYNOPSIS: In Turkey, a massive search is under w??? for three British radar technicians. They were kidnapped from this block of flats by five masked and armed guerrillas last Sunday. Police believe the Britons were kidnapped to prevent the execution of three Turks -- all said to be members of the left-wing "Turkish Peoples Liberation Army". They had been found guilty of trying to overthrow the government -- and kidnapping five American servicemen last year. The Turkish government has said its determined not to give in to blackmail. And security forces throughout the nation have been put on full alert. The search is concentration on Unye, the Black Sea coastal town where the Britons were seized.

Villagers have joined in the search, in response to a large reward offered for information on the kidnappers - who were last seen on Monday near Unye. Their leaders are believed to be the same who abducted and killed Israeli Consul-General Elrom last May. They were captured but escaped from a maximum security military prison in November.

The kidnappers, armed with machine guns and grenades, used this landrover for the operation. It was later found abandoned nearly seventy miles from Unye -- but there have been no further clues since. As the search in north-eastern Turkey went on, it became clear that the death sentences on the Turks will not be carried out until next week at the earliest. The Public Prosecutor said a seven-day delay was necessary under the military penal code to allow an appeal -- and lawyers for the three men have already announced their intention to do just that.

Meanwhile, photographs of possible kidnappers are being published widely. Navy ships have cut off sea escape route and airforce jets are trying to pinpoint guerrilla hideouts in the mountains.