ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Kurdish rebels based in northern Iraq freed eight captured Turkish soldiers and officials on Wednesday as part of peace efforts between Turkey and the rebel group aimed at ending a decades-long conflict, a legislator said.

The rebels handed over six soldiers, a trainee local administrator and a police officer to a group of pro-Kurdish legislators and human rights activists who traveled to northern Iraq, where the rebels maintain bases, Adil Kurt, one of the lawmakers, told The Associated Press by telephone.