BAGHDAD, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Foreign Ministry said Friday that it welcomed the call by jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) Abdullah Ocalan to disarm and dissolve the group.

The ministry said in a statement that it considered Ocalan's call a "positive and important step in achieving stability in the region."

It pointed out that Ocalan's message constitutes a very important step towards enhancing security not only in Iraq, but in the entire region where PKK armed elements are present, according to the statement.

The ministry added that it hopes "this call will be translated into practical and rapid steps for the party's forces to lay down their arms."

Turkish forces frequently carry out cross-border operations targeting PKK militants in northern Iraq, especially in the Qandil Mountains, the main base of the group.

On Thursday, Türkiye's pro-Kurdish Democratic Party announced in Istanbul that Ocalan has called for the disarmament and dissolution of the PKK.

Ocalan, who has been held in near-total isolation in Imrali since 1999, founded the PKK in 1978. The PKK is designated as a terrorist group by Türkiye, the United States, and the European Union. Enditem

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