The imprisoned leader of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party has called on his group to disarm and disband in a bid to end 40 years of fighting with the Turkish state.

"We maintain our stance that the Kurdish issue should be addressed and resolved transparently, under the roof of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, by encompassing all segments of society ... The call for the terrorist organization to lay down its arms and dissolve itself is important (and) we hope it will act upon the requirements of this call".

Turkey's jailed militant leader Abdullah Ocalan has called on his Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) to lay down arms, a move that could end its 40-year conflict with Ankara and have far-reaching political and security consequences for the region.

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) is urging its supporters to gather in Diyarbakir (Amed) and Van provinces on Thursday to await the anticipated 'call of the century' from jailed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader

A delegation of Turkey's pro-Kurdish DEM Party went on Thursday to visit jailed militant leader Abdullah Ocalan in his island prison, where he was expected to give them a statement that Ankara hopes will pave the way for his outlawed group to disarm.

The jailed founder of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), Abdullah Ocalan, appealed on Thursday to his militant group to disarm and to dissolve itself. His call, if heeded by the PKK fighters, opens the door to ending a conflict that has ravaged southeastern Turkey for four decades and will also have significant implications for the wider region,

A delegation of Turkey's pro-Kurdish DEM Party visited jailed militant leader Abdullah Ocalan on Thursday in his island prison, where he was expected to give them a statement that Ankara hopes will pave the way for his outlawed group to disarm.

Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or P.K.K., called on his fighters to lay down their arms after decades of insurgency against the Turkish state.

Kurdish separatist group leader Abdullah Ocalan called on his militants to lay down arms and work toward ending a 40-year war for autonomy against Turkey.

Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan's call from prison for his Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) to lay down arms sparked both hope and scepticism in Turkey on Thursday, while analysts linked it to a possible bid to overcome presidential term limits.