Shengal (Sinjar)- The Turkish state and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) sent Roj Peshmerga members trained by them in the Bashiqa camps to attack Shengal on March 3, 2017; the Roj Peshmerga forces attacked the YBŞ (Shengal Resistance Units) and YJŞ (Êzîdxan Women's Units) in Khana Sor. The attacks on the Yazidi forces started five days after Masoud Barzani’s visit to Ankara. The Yazidi community defined this betrayal of the KDP as a continuation of the genocide because the resistance against ISIS continued in Shengal on that time. The KDP bought weapons from Germany to fight ISIS; however, it has declared a war against the Yazidi forces fighting to protect Shengal from ISIS by using these weapons.

‘The KDP keeps betraying us’

Neam Ilyas, member of the Yazidi Free Women's Movement (Kurdish: Tevgera Azadiya Jinên Êzîdî-TAJÊ), spoke to NuJINHA on the sixth anniversary of the resistance in Khana Sor. Talking about when the KDP's betrayal against the Yazidi community started, she said, “When the Saddam Hussein's government collapsed, we thought we would get rid of persecution. But the KDP began to persecute us. When they (KDP forces) entered Shengal, we felt very happy. We thought they would protect us because we speak the same language. But we did not know that the KDP would betray us. When ISIS attacked us on August 3, 2014, they (KDP forces) left us alone. The KDP forces withdrew from Shengal by taking their weapons. All Yazidis would have been killed, if the PKK fighters had not protected us. Our young people stayed in Shengal to fight ISIS along with the PKK fighters. They fought ISIS and liberated Shengal.”

 

‘The members of the Roj Peshmerga spoke Turkish!’

Pointing to the attack of the mercenaries on Khana Sor under the name of Roj Peshmerga, Neam Ilyas said, “The attackers were not only the members of the Roj Peshmerga, there were also Turkish speakers among them. The KDP attacked Shengal in 2017 to hide its real face in 2014. The KDP aimed to position its forces in Shengal again; however, the Yazidi community does not want betrayers. The attack on Shengal in 2017 was the continuation of the genocide. By attacking Shengal in 2017, the Turkish state aimed to complete what ISIS left uncompleted with the support of the KDP.”

‘Yazidi people living in IDPs camps should return to their homeland’

Calling on the Yazidis living in IDPs camps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Neam Ilyas said, “Now Shengal is ours. We can build a better life in Shengal together. Together we will build our life and preserve Yazidism. We do not accept betrayal and we do not leave our homeland.”