Hasan Gecti, a 56-year-old shop owner, also said he believes the stability and lack of violence will benefit the region's people economically and socially, but suggested that other matters, such as greater Kurdish rights, have not been addressed. The PKK launched the insurgency in the 1980s, initially to establish a Kurdish state in the southeast of the country. However, the law alone does not solve the Kurdish issue, and further reforms will be needed, he added. In a statement carried by the PKK-linked ANF news outlet, the group on Monday described the Turkish legislation as a “beginning” to resolving outstanding issues, but “has serious shortcomings and deficiencies.” It called for Ocalan's release from prison, for democratic reforms and Kurdish rights.