Turkey, PKK agree on peace roadmap

The agreement was reached during fresh talks between Ankara and jailed Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan to have PKK lay down arms by March, it was reported on Wednesday.
 
Under the reported roadmap, the Turkish government would grant wider rights to the 15-million-strong PKK.
 
    The Kurdish rebels demand that Turkey recognize Kurdish identity in its new Constitution. They also want the release of hundreds of activists imprisoned for links to the PKK.
 
 
Also on Wednesday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that his government would push ahead with its tough crackdown on the PKK.
 
The PKK has been fighting for an autonomous Kurdish region inside Turkey since the 1980s. The conflict has left tens of thousands of people dead.
 
Clashes between Turkish forces and PKK fighters have intensified in recent months.