The Kurdish separatist leader, Abdullah Ocalan, who is under house arrest in Italy, has said his PKK party wants to engage in a peace process, like the IRA in Northern Ireland and the Basque separatist organisation, ETA, in Spain.

Announcing a seven-point peace plan, Mr Ocalan said the PKK would end its armed struggle in return for autonomy for the Kurdish region in south-eastern Turkey.Correspondents say Turkey remains implacably opposed to dialogue with the PKK.