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.

Abdullah Ocalan, imprisoned founder of the Kurdistan Workers Party known as PLK, sent a letter calling for the group to disarm and dissolve to make peace with Turkey.

Turkey's 40-year battle against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) could be nearing an end after its jailed leader, Abdullah Ocalan, called on the militant group on Thursday to lay down its arms and disband.

While Ocalan's call raises hopes for ending decades of conflict with Turkey, questions remain about the future of Kurdish politics in Syria and the broader region.

Abdullah Ocalan’s appeal raised the prospect of an end to a conflict between Turkey and the PKK that since the 1980s has killed an estimated 40,000 people.

The fighting has taken more than 40,000 lives over the past four decades. The group’s leader is now calling for its fighters to put down their arms.

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