A PEACE initiative to end a decades-long conflict with Kurdish militants has been effectively “frozen” by the Turkish government, a top commander has said.

Murat Karayilan, a co-founder of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), accused Ankara on Thursday of failing to enact legal and political reforms needed to move the process forward, contradicting recent optimistic statements by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Mr Karayilan said in an interview with the PKK-linked ANF news outlet that the PKK has taken major steps as part of the peace effort, including declaring a ceasefire and an end to its armed struggle.

“The process is currently frozen. That’s what we’ve been able to see and what has been reported to us,” Mr Karayilan said.

“We, as a movement, have fulfilled our responsibilities at this stage. It is clear that we have done everything necessary for the government to take action.”

The PKK declared last year that it would disarm and disband as part of the new peace effort with Turkey, following a call by imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan.

Earlier this year, a Turkish parliamentary committee recommended a series of reforms, including the reintegration of PKK members who renounce violence, while stressing that legal steps should be tied to state security institutions verifying that the group has surrendered its weapons.

Mr Karayilan said that Turkish government and ruling party officials had set April as the month in which legislation advancing the process would be brought to parliament, a deadline that has now passed with no Bill introduced.