US welcomes Ocalan's call

The US expressed its support for the call for a cease-fire which was issued by Abdullah Ocalan, jailed leader of the outlawed PKK, during the Nowruz celebrations in the province of Diyarbakir. Speaking to reporters in a press conference in Washington, US State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said, "The United States welcomes today's announcement by the Kurdistan Workers' Party to halt the violence as a positive step toward ending more than three decades of tragic violence in Turkey," adding, "This violence has claimed too many lives and too many futures, and must end. We applaud the courageous efforts of the government of Turkey and all parties concerned to achieve a peaceful resolution that will advance democracy in Turkey and improve the lives of all of Turkey's citizens."