ANKARA, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that he hoped the upcoming Newroz festival on March 21 would be a chance for reviving the stalled peace process on Kurdish issue and bringing an end to the three- decade insurgency.
Newroz marks the New Year holiday in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, parts of India along with the Kurdish areas.
Addressing the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) meeting in the parliament, Erdogan said "We hope this March 21 will be celebrated with joy. Let this year's Newroz provide hope, and spread the seeds for resolution."
The imprisoned leader of outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) Abdullah Ocalan announced Monday that he will make a "historic call" on March 21, the day of spring festival-Newroz celebrations, raising expectations for a call of ceasefire of the group.
Turkish state authorities have been holding peace negotiations with Ocalan since last October to end the three-decade insurgency.
The PKK members would withdraw from Turkey within nine months since March 21, Turkish Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin said at a televised interview on Sunday.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey and part of the international community, took up arms in 1984 in an attempt to create an ethnic homeland in southeastern Turkey. Since then, over 35,000 people have been killed in conflicts involving the group.
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