Kurdish militant leader urges congress on peace with Turkey

At a rally to mark the Kurdish 'Newroz' New Year celebrations on the 21 March 2015 a message was read out from the jailed Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan. He called for the PKK to hold a congress to discuss ending the three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state. France24 noted that he stopped short of declaring an immediate halt to its armed struggle.

Kurds make up around 20% of Turkey's population of 78 million people.

Subsequently, four Turkish soldiers were injured in clashes between the army and Kurdish militants in the far east of the country on the 11 April 2014. The incident dealt a blow to the fragile peace process.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: PKK leader Ocalan calls on Kurdish separatists in Turkey to lay down arms http://www.europeansources.info/record/pkk-leader-ocalan-calls-on-kurdish-separatists-in-turkey-to-lay-down-arms/

BBC News, 21.03.15: Kurd leader Ocalan calls for congress to end Turkey armed struggle http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-31998336

Deutsche Welle, 21.03.15: Kurdish rebel leader Ocalan calls on fighters to end armed struggle http://dw.de/p/1EuxO

Cumhuriyet, 13.04.15: AKP bans criticism of peace process (via Euro|Topics) http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/archiv/aehnliche/archiv_article/ARTICLE161385-AKP-bans-criticism-of-peace-process

Deutsche Welle, 11.04.15: Clashes between Turkish army and Kurdish militants http://dw.de/p/1F6PT

Hürriyet, 04.05.15: AKP puts peace process at risk for election (via Euro|Topics) http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/archiv/aehnliche/archiv_article/ARTICLE162475-AKP-puts-peace-process-at-risk-for-election

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