HÊVÎDAR ŞENGALÎ

Shengal (Sinjar)- In 2014, ISIS attacked Shengal, killing thousands of Yazidis, including women and children, abducting thousands of Yazidi women and girls. The abducted Yazidi women and girls were sold in slave markets. The Syrian Democratic Forces defeated ISIS in Shengal. However, ISIS still holds thousands of Yazidi women captive.

ISIS member, who put a Yazidi girl up for sale, is still free

 In 2017, a Yazidi girl was forcibly taken from Shingal by ISIS member Sabbah Ali Oruç. The ISIS member put the Yazidi girl up for sale on the dark web. On October 26, the first hearing of the trial against the ISIS member was held by the Ankara 15th High Criminal Court. The ISIS member stands trial on charges of “human trafficking”. Sabbah Ali Oruç was released despite the lawyers' demands for his arrest. On the same day, Artı Gerçek revealed that the Turkish Ministry of Family and Social Policies had handed over the Yazidi girl to the family of the ISIS member to stay with them for a weekend.

‘ISIS members walk freely in Turkey’

The Yazidi Free Women's Movement (Kurdish: Tevgera Azadiya Jinên Êzîdî-TAJÊ) released a written statement on November 1 calling for justice for the Yazidi girl and the arrest of the ISIS member. “ISIS members walk freely in Turkey,” said Hilwa Feqîr, council member of the Shengal (Sinjar) Self-Administration, in an interview with NuJINHA.

 Speaking about the genocidal attacks on the Yazidi community, she said, “ISIS abducted thousands of Yazidi women and girls in 2014. An ISIS leader in Turkey held a Yazidi girl named Ayşe captive. He is originally Turkish. Unfortunately, neither the girl was rescued nor an arrest warrant was issued for the ISIS leader. ISIS took the abducted Yazidi children to Turkey.”

‘They cannot annihilate the Yazidis’

Recalling the statement of Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdoğan saying that the Israel attacks on the Gaza Strip are crimes against humanity, Hilwa Feqir said, “Aren't Erdoğan's attacks on Shengal, Rojava and Makhmour the same as the attacks on Palestine? This land is very sacred to us. We will not give our sacred land to anyone. Erdoğan and other states cannot annihilate the Yazidis.”

Hilwa Feqir also said that Ayşe is not the only Yazidi girl held captive by ISIS in Turkey. Thousands of Yazidi girls may be held captive by ISIS in Turkey because ISIS members walk freely in Turkey. But the Yazidis will ensure justice for Ayşe and other Yazidi girls held captive by ISIS. The Turkish state, ISIS, the spies and enemies among us will all be held accountable. We will keep struggling to rescue all Yazidi women and girls held captive by ISIS.”