Kurdish group PKK says it is laying down arms and disbandingA demonstrator holds a picture of jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan at a rally in Diyarbakir, Turkey, in FebruaryMore than 40,000 people have been killed since the insurgency began. The PKK insurgency initially aimed to create an independent homeland for Kurds, who account for about 20% of Turkey's population. Outlawed Kurdish group the PKK, which has waged a 40-year insurgency against Turkey, has announced it is laying down its arms and disbanding. The PKK leader has been in solitary confinement in prison on an island in the Sea of Marmara, south-west of Istanbul, since 1999. Kurdish politicians will be hoping for a new political dialogue, and a pathway towards greater Kurdish rights.