The comments came as the Turkish government prepares to introduce measures aimed at granting greater rights to Kurds.

Basbug, head of the Turkish chiefs of staff, called on the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to halt their struggle for self-rule in the southeast of the country, which has claimed around 45,000 lives since it began in 1984.

"They must give up their weapons, there is no other solution," Basbug said during a visit to the Sinirtepe military post in Mardin province on the Syrian border.

"Nothing can be achieved with weapons and blood," he added.

The general vowed to "fight to the end to defeat the terrorism" of the PKK, which is on EU and US terrorist blacklists.

He highlighted that many PKK members who had handed themselves in had later been released. Basbug said justice ministry figures showed 870 PKK rebels gave themselves up between 2005 and 2008.

A total of 638 of them were freed through a legal arrangement to show mercy to those who had not carried out violent acts against security forces, the general added.

Ankara is expected unveil measures next month aimed at granting greater rights to around 12 million Kurds living in Turkey in a bid to blunt the separatist campaign.