EU welcomes call by Kurdish leader in Turkey to lay down arms

The EU has welcomed Saturday's announcement by Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the rebel group called the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) to hold an extraordinary congress to decide to lay down arms in the spring.
"This is a positive step forward in the peace process. We hope that all parties will seize the opportunity to make decisive progress towards reconciliation and democratization," said Catherine Ray, spokesperson for EU High Representative Federica Ray, in a statement. She added the EU "gives the strongest political support to this process and repeats its readiness to provide practical help, including through funding".
Ocalan has been in jail since 1999 serving a life sentence for treason, while EU has designated the PKK as a terrorist group.