Sinûnê Ezidxan Asayiş member Nasir Xeyro said: "They say dissolve your defense forces and leave the people defenseless. We promised to defend the people. They were here before, but they did not defend it. Now they are telling us to go, that they will defend our people. This is not true and nobody believes it."

The response of the Yazidi community to the genocide committed against them on 3 August 2014 was the construction of self-powered defense forces. Shengal was liberated after a relentless struggle against ISIS, shoulder to shoulder with the HPG and YJA-Star guerrillas and the Shengal defense forces.

After the liberation of Shengal, the Yazidi community joined hands for the construction of Shengal, and as a result of great efforts, they built the Êzidxan public order forces affiliated to the Democratic Autonomous Shengal system.

Established in 2016, the Êzidxan public order forces have been on duty 24 hours a day for the safety and welfare of the people.

The KDP, AKP-MHP alliance and Iraq’s Kazimi government, did not accept the construction of Yazidi society, and made many attempts to disrupt stability in Shengal. The 9 October alliance is the official version of this. The attacks of an Iraqi army force on the Êzidxan Asayiş checkpoints in Dîgur on 18 April are also a part of this.

Nasir Xeyro, Public Security Officer in Êzidxan, Sinune town of Shengal, told ANF: "After the ISIS massacre, there was a vacuum in the area. The people wanted to feel safe. Defense forces were formed. This aroused a sense of trust in the people. The construction of the Autonomous Administration was being carried out. There were also different small groups, but they were not very effective. Public Security forces were needed to ensure the peace of the villages. Of course, there were serious difficulties in the establishment of Asayiş.

Since its establishment, Êzidxan Asayish has been working 24 hours a day to ensure the security and peace of all Shengal. The forces existing in Shengal and the public security forces affiliated with Iraq and the KDP also fled during the ISIS massacre. When Êzidxan Asayish was established, there was no KDP force in Shengal that could defend neither Iraq nor Shengal. In addition, one of the aims of the establishment of public order forces was developed over the criterion of self-defense. After the massacre period, the Yazidi community has learned that they cannot rely on the forces who left Shengal when ISIS attacked."

Asayiş forces represent the will of the people

Stating that Êzidxan public order forces have received the support of the people since their establishment, Nasir Xeyro said: "We are the people, the people receive our support. We are an institution formed by the will of the people. In this respect, nobody can ignore the will of the people. We also, as Asayiş, act with this awareness. We stand up for the will of the people by resisting."

Xeyro noted the following: "The return of the Yazidis to Shengal in recent years has been prevented but now all the villages have started to gradually fill up again.”

Nasir Xeyro stated that Êzidxan Public Security is the first address for the solution to all problems that cannot be resolved between families or tribes. "We take every complaint we receive seriously and try to develop discreet solutions. There are Public Security Units in every village. We are trying to ensure the security of any event as well as entrances and exits to the villages."

We will defend our people under any circumstances

Xeyro said: "Everyone knows that the 9 October agreement signed between Hewlêr, Ankara and Baghdad was aimed at destabilizing Shengal. Those who did not defend Shengal said to us they now will. But we know this is not true and nobody believes them."

Xeyro underlined that the attacks on the checkpoints of the Êzidxan Asayish forces at the entrance of the village of Dîgur by the Iraqi army on 18 April could not be handled separately from the 9 October agreement and added: "The Iraqi army showed the same approach they had shown at many of our check-points. All of these attacks were based on the 9 October agreement. The public order and the attitude of the people against the attacks were important and I think we gave the necessary answer. Iraq is fragmented within itself. Personal and family interests come to the fore. There is no political stance that considers the integrity of Iraq. The approach to Shengal is also a part of it. The Iraqi army's approach to Shengal in this latest process cannot be in the interests of Iraq."

Nasir Xeyro ended his remarks by saying: “We are the children of this people. We promised our people that we will defend them and we will keep our word until the end."