Even from the island prison where he has spent the past 26 years, Abdullah Ocalan still wields power over the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the rebel group he founded to fight for a Kurdish homeland.

The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militia on Saturday declared an immediate ceasefire, two days after its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan called on fighters to lay down their arms and dissolve the group.

Kurdish militants who have waged a 40-year insurgency in Turkey declared a ceasefire on Saturday in what could mark a significant boost to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government, two days after their imprisoned leader called for the group to disarm.

The mountains of northern Iraq have for years been a sanctuary for Kurdish militants fighting a decades-long insurgency against the government in neighboring Turkey.

The group, the P.K.K., made its declaration days after its long-imprisoned leader urged the movement to disarm and disband, but there are still many questions about the prospects for ending 40 years of deadly conflict.

The Kurdistan Workers' Party, designated a terror group by the U.S., has declared a ceasefire amid changes in the Middle East.