In Turkey, the Kurdistan Workers' party (PKK) extended its temporary ceasefire until the summer's general election amid rumours of behind-the-scenes contacts and allegations that "show trials" of Kurdish civic leaders are undermining hopes of reconciliation.

One prominent participant is Alex Maskey, a member of the Northern Ireland assembly who was interned as an IRA suspect during the Troubles and later served as the first Sinn Féin lord mayor of Belfast. He has travelled widely to promote Belfast's peace process; in 2008 he accompanied Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness to Iraq.