THE HAGUE (AFP) - The Turkish military will end operations against Kurdish rebels if they stop fighting, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday after a Kurdish ceasefire call.

"If there are no more armed actions our troops will not undertake armed actions," Erdogan told journalists in the Netherlands after jailed Kurdistan Workers' Party leader Abdullah Ocalan told his fighters to lay down their arms.

Erdogan's comments were translated from Turkish into Dutch at a press conference following talks with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

"I hope that it will have an effect as quickly as possible," Erdogan said of the ceasefire call that has raised hopes for an end to a three-decade conflict that has cost tens of thousands of lives.

"I find it a positive approach, but it is important how it will be applied in reality," Erdogan said.