Kurdish Rebel Leader Calls for Ceasefire with Turkey

File photo of Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of Kurdish rebels fighting Turkey

Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of Kurdish rebels fighting Turkey, has called for a truce after years of war.

In a message read out to cheers during Kurdish New Year celebrations, Ocalan also called upon his fighters to withdraw from Turkey.

The truce call follows months of peace talks between his PKK forces and the Turkish state, the BBC has reminded.

The PKK has been fighting the Turkish state since 1984. The group initially demanded an independent Kurdish state, but later moderated its goals to greater autonomy and cultural rights for Kurds.

More than 40,000 people have died in the 30-year fight.

Several previous ceasefire attempts have failed.

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