Danish intellectuals and politicians have appealed to Kurdish parties to end tensions in Iraqi Kurdistan, writing a letter emphasising their concerns and calling on parties to prevent a possible war among Kurds.

Various politicians and activists signed the letter, including the former Foreign Minister of Denmark. Signatories invited the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) to solve the conflict through dialogue, and warned the parties: “Any conflict between Kurds would only serve the Kurdish enemies.” They went on to criticise Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. “President Erdoğan will use every opportunity to create conflict and war between the Kurds to prevent unity, independence, and the autonomous administration of Kurds in the region”, reads the letter.

They stressed the importance of unity among Kurds: “It is important to establish an alliance and build cooperation in Kurdistan to serve the future of the Kurdish people and Kurdistan”.

Named signatories of the letter are as follows:

Eva Flyvholm (Deputy of the Danish Parliament Red-Green Alliance Party), Villy Søvndal (former Foreign Minister and former MP of the Socialist People’s Party), Uffe Elbæk (member of the Danish Parliament, Deputy of the Independent Green Party), Rasmus Nordqvist, (member of Parliament, Socialist People’s Party of Denmark), Jonas Eika (Danish author, Nordic Council Literary Award winner 2019), Line Barfoed (Former Member of Parliament Red-Green Alliance Party of Denmark), Villo Sigurdsson (Former President of the Socialist People’s Party, Copenhagen Municipality), Pernille Frahm (Former Member of the European Parliament, Socialist People’s Party), Jesper Brandt (MSc, Professor Emeritus, Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University), Christian Juhl (Deputy of the Danish Parliament Red-Green Alliance Party).