The leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party urged supporters to lay down their arms.

The leader of the PKK, as reported by Reuters, called for laying down "arms and took historical responsibility for this call."

Ocalan urged members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party to hold a congress and decide on self-dissolution. The agency notes that the PKK has not yet responded to the party leader's appeal.

Reuters emphasizes that Ocalan's appeal could bring an end to the PKK's 40-year struggle for Kurdish independence. Since the beginning of this conflict, approximately 40,000 people have been killed, the agency reports.

While previously the Kurds fought for the establishment of a separate state in Turkish territories, in recent years Ocalan's supporters have sought greater autonomy in southeastern Turkey and an expansion of Kurdish rights.