KDP Mourns Death of Lord Jeffrey Archer, Hails His Enduring Friendship With Kurds

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) on Tuesday expressed deep sorrow over the death of Lord Jeffrey Archer, a distinguished British author and parliamentarian, praising his longstanding friendship with the Kurdish people and his support during one of the darkest periods in their modern history.

In a condolence statement issued by its Foreign Relations Office, the KDP extended its sympathies to Archer’s family, friends, and colleagues, saying the people of Kurdistan would remember him with particular gratitude for the solidarity he demonstrated during the humanitarian crisis of 1991.

At the time, hundreds of thousands of Kurdish families were displaced following the uprising and ensuing humanitarian catastrophe.

According to the KDP statement, Archer used his public profile and international connections to draw global attention to the suffering of the Kurdish people.

Through the Simple Truth Appeal, including a major international concert held at Wembley Arena, Archer helped mobilize humanitarian assistance and bring the plight of the Kurds to an international audience, the statement said.

The KDP also highlighted Archer’s direct engagement with Kurdistan, saying he travelled to the region and witnessed firsthand the conditions faced by Kurdish civilians before establishing close ties with the Kurdish leadership.

In early 1992, Archer carried a message from then-British Prime Minister Sir John Major to President Masoud Barzani, an engagement the KDP said helped strengthen relations between the Kurdish leadership and senior political figures in the United Kingdom.

Archer continued to advocate for the Kurdish people in the years that followed, including through his position in the House of Lords, according to the statement.

The KDP said the people of Kurdistan would not forget those who had stood with them during their most difficult moments, describing Archer’s compassion, advocacy, and friendship as part of the collective memory of the Kurdish people.

The party concluded its statement by extending its condolences to Archer’s family and loved ones, saying his memory and his friendship with the people of Kurdistan would endure.

Lord Archer, who died “suddenly and peacefully” at his home, according to his publisher HarperCollins, was a Conservative MP for five years before serving as the party’s deputy chairman.

He later built a highly successful career as a novelist, selling more than 300 million copies worldwide, and was made a life peer in the House of Lords in 1992.

He also served as a senior Conservative Party official under then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the mid-1980s.