tag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/21/Jailed_Kurdish_rebel_leader_calls_f411

Jailed Kurdish rebel chief Abdullah Ocalan called Thursday for a new ceasefire, telling his fighters to lay down their arms and withdraw from Turkish soil, raising hopes for an end to a three-decade conflict that has cost tens of thousands of lives.

2013-03-21T20:18:57ZAFP Global Editionby Nicolas Chevirontag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/21/welcomes_Kurdish_rebels_ceasefire_call_0d08

The United States on Thursday welcomed a call from the jailed rebel leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) urging his fighters to lay down their arms, saying it was a "positive step."

2013-03-21T18:38:49ZAFP American EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/21/Jailed_Kurdish_rebel_leader_calls_5bf9

Jailed Kurdish rebel chief Abdullah Ocalan called Thursday for a new ceasefire, telling his fighters to lay down their arms and withdraw from Turkish soil, raising hopes for an end to a three-decade conflict that has cost tens of thousands of lives.

2013-03-21T18:27:13ZAFP Global Editionby Nicolas Chevirontag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/21/Jailed_Kurdish_rebel_leader_Ocalan_ef16

Jailed Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan called Thursday for a ceasefire in the 29-year-conflict with Turkey and for rebel fighters to withdraw.

2013-03-21T11:43:46ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/21/Turkey_awaits_historic_Kurdish_ceasefire_1b06

Jailed Kurdish rebel chief Abdullah Ocalan was set to call a "historic" ceasefire on Thursday, raising expectations for an end to a three-decade conflict with Turkey that has cost tens of thousands of lives.

2013-03-21T09:25:46ZAFP Global Editionby Nicolas Chevirontag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/20/Erdogan_says_comments_Zionism_misunderstood_d6cb

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in remarks published Wednesday that his controversial comments branding Zionism a crime against humanity had been misunderstood.

2013-03-20T12:19:11ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/19/Jordan_king_criticises_regional_leaders_76a0

Jordan's King Abdullah II launched a broadside against regional leaders in an interview published Tuesday in a US magazine, saying Egypt's president has "no depth" in reading the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and that Turkey's premier sees democracy as a "bus ride".

2013-03-19T20:18:14ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/18/Turkeys_secret-keeper_chief_Hakan_Fidan_efaf

The head of Turkish intelligence, Hakan Fidan, is the driving force behind the state's clandestine peace talks with a jailed Kurdish rebel chief that aim to end a bloody three-decade insurgency.

2013-03-18T20:41:34ZAFP Global Editionby Fulya Ozerkantag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/18/Jailed_Kurdish_leader_confirms_Turkey_1905

Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan has confirmed he will call for a "historic" ceasefire on Thursday, the start of the Kurdish New Year, a lawmaker said after meeting the jailed PKK chief.

2013-03-18T20:22:27ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/18/leader_Ocalan_Turkey_nemesis_turned_9793

Abdullah Ocalan, the charismatic Kurdish separatist leader dubbed the "nemesis" of the Turkish state, is now seen as the best bet to end decades of armed insurgency.

2013-03-18T18:11:08ZAFP Global Editionby Ceren Kumovatag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/18/Jailed_leader_confirms_Thursday_ceasefire_b107

Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan has confirmed he will call for a "historic" ceasefire on Thursday, the day of the Kurdish New Year, a pro-Kurdish lawmaker in Turkey told reporters in Istanbul after meeting the jailed PKK chief.

2013-03-18T15:39:13ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/13/Kurd_rebels_free_Turkish_prisoners_dcb2

Kurdish rebels on Wednesday freed eight Turkish prisoners in response to a new peace push by Ankara to end a 29-year-old insurgency in southeast Turkey.

2013-03-13T19:28:17ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/13/Kurd_rebels_free_Turkish_prisoners_e625

The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) released on Wednesday eight Turkish prisoners they had been holding for two years in northern Iraq, a Kurdish official told AFP.

2013-03-13T11:03:56ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/13/Kurd_rebels_free_Turkish_prisoners_fcdf

The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) on Tuesday freed eight Turkish prisoners held for two years in northern Iraq, as part of a new peace push by Ankara to end a 29-year-old insurgency.

2013-03-13T09:51:05ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/12/Turkish_court_charges_Syrian_bombing_56dc

A Turkish court has formally charged four Syrians and one Turk with a deadly bomb attack on the volatile border with Syria last month, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported.

2013-03-12T09:37:39ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/10/Syrian_refugees_double_triple_this_c5d4

The number of Syrian refugees, already past the million mark, could double or triple by the end of the year if no solution is found to the conflict, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said Sunday.

2013-03-10T14:13:45ZAFP Global Editionby Fulya Ozerkantag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/09/Turkey_boosts_2020_Olympics_with_31c3

Seven giant Turkish companies have pledged to chip in for the national bid to host the 2020 Olympics, Sports Minister Suat Kilic said on Saturday.

2013-03-09T18:52:30ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/02/Kurdish_rebels_free_kidnapped_Turks_af12

The outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) may release Turkish state officials it is holding within 10 days as part of a renewed push for peace with Turkey, the co-chair of the pro-Kurdish party said on Saturday.

2013-03-02T17:10:17ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/02/Kurdish_rebels_may_free_kidnapped_6313

The outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) may release Turkish state officials it is holding within 10 days as part of a renewed push for peace with Turkey, the co-chair of the pro-Kurdish party said on Saturday.

2013-03-02T17:07:44ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/01/Zionism_casts_cloud_over_Kerrys_fc0c

US Secretary of State John Kerry held talks with Turkey's leaders on the Syria crisis Friday amid a row over comments by the Turkish premier branding Zionism a "crime against humanity."

2013-03-01T22:00:25ZAFP Global Editionby Fulya OZERKAN, Nicolas REVISE