OFFICIALS in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq have urged the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) — the senior partner in the regional government — to stop aiding the Turkish armed forces and to prevent a deadly intra-Kurdish war.

In a statement issued at the weekend, the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), an umbrella organisation of Kurdish groups that includes the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), accused the KDP of declaring an “open war” on guerilla forces. 

It said that KDP peshmerga actions — which have included ambush attacks and surrounding guerilla bases — have been intended to hamper the PKK resistance, which has continued to battle the Turkish incursions after more than 100 days of war.