Indeed, the keenly pro-secular President Sezer refused to accept one of them, Besir Atalay, as education minister.

ECONOMIST: Turkey's government

Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister, Besir Atalay, welcomed their release as "a gesture of goodwill", adding that the peace process was "going just fine".

BBC: Turkey Kurds: PKK chief Ocalan to make 'historic' call

His interior minister, Besir Atalay, has been making the rounds of assorted politicians and civic leaders to build consensus for an as yet unarticulated plan.

ECONOMIST: Turkey and the Kurds