European intellectuals from Peace in Kurdistan (PIK) have called on the British Prime Minister to urgently foster a climate of peace and dialogue in north Syria and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).
The intellectuals sent an open letter on 12 December to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak concerning Turkey’s aerial bombing campaign on north and east Syria and the KRI.
The letter was signed by names like Noam Chomsky, John Austin, Jeremy Corbyn and Lindsey German. In it, they said that Turkish military attacks on the regions that started on 19 November clearly violated international law.
The campaigners drew attention to the bombings on civilians and the waves of mass displacement caused as a result.
“We urge you to support international efforts to ensure peace in this region and halt the threat of further regional destabilisation,” they said, calling on the government to condemn these actions in the clearest possible terms.
PIK also underlined the escalating assault by Iranian government forces against the Kurdish population during the nationwide protests in the country.
“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have intensified their attacks on Kurdish-majority cities and towns in the western provinces of the country following protests taken in response to the shocking death in police custody of the Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini,” said PIK.
The intellectuals said that both Turkey and Iran have a terrible track record going back decades of extreme persecution of their Kurdish populations.
“We call on you as Prime Minister to raise your voice in condemnation of this dangerous acceleration of illegal violence. To appeal to the United Nations and Britain’s NATO partners to act to ensure that their Turkish ally adheres consistently to its international commitments and in full accordance with International Law,” said PIK.
