Kurdish Rebels Reportedly Start Turkey Pullout

A pro-Kurdish party in Turkey says Kurdish rebels have begun withdrawing from the country as part of efforts to end a nearly three-decades-old conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people.

A spokesman for the Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party said fighters have started withdrawing from southeastern Turkey into their strongholds in northern Iraq.

He gave no other details and there has been no confirmation from Turkish officials.

The outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) agreed to withdraw its fighters as part of a cease-fire it declared in May after months of talks between jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan and the government.

The PKK is believed to have up to 2,000 fighters in Turkey.

However, the PKK fighters apparently have not agreed to lay down their arms.

Based on reporting by AFP, AP, and BBC