Hundreds of Êzidîs who had to flee their lands when ISIS gangs invaded Shengal and have been staying in the camp set up by DBP’s Yenişehir Municipality in Amed since have been exiled to Midyat camp after the AKP occupied the municipalities with trustees.

Speaking to ANF, HDP Mardin MP Ali Atalan said Êzidîs being transferred to the camp with Syrian Arabs, most of whom are ISIS and Al Nusra supporters, opened the door for a new massacre and added that they had created alternative living spaces for Êzidîs.

“ÊZIDÎS WERE HAPPY WITH THE DBP MUNICIPALITY”

Atalan mentioned that some 20 thousand Êzidîs settled in various camps in Northern Kurdistan after ISIS gangs attacked Shengal and they had to leave their homes, and stated that most of the Êzidîs went back to Shengal after its liberation. Atalan said some 1200 Êzidîs who didn’t return were staying in the camp set up by the Amed Yenişehir Municipality and stated that the Êzidîs had suitable living conditions there. Atalan mentioned the Êzidîs’ contentment with the municipality practices for the last 2.5 years and said: “The Municipality’s practices were appreciated by our Êzidî people, the Êzidîs who lived there didn’t want to leave the life there.”

“AKP DELIBERATELY SENDS ÊZIDÎS TO CAMPS WITH JIHADIS”

Atalan stated that the first thing AKP did after they occupied the municipalities of Amed through trustees was to remove the Êzidîs staying in this camp and continued: “The Êzidî people know that AKP is no different than ISIS, that’s why they resisted their deportation from the camp for a long time. They didn’t want to leave the place they lived in. Because they knew that the camps they would be sent to are those where ISIS supporters and even ISIS gang members’ families were staying. Thus they didn’t want to go, but the trustee sent them to the camp in Midyat with ISIS supporters, with force and by tearing down the camp.”

Atalan also shared information on the AFAD camp in Midyat the Êzidîs were exiled to and said: “This is a camp with ISIS and Al Nusra supporters in particular. The residents of the camp are jihadist circles that harbor enmity towards the Êzidî people. AKP is paving the way for a massacre by knowingly sending the Êzidî people to this camp.”

“AKP TURNED THE UN CAMP INTO A MILITARY BASE”

Atalan stated that the Êzidîs in the refugee camp in Nusaybin set up entirely with UN resources were also transferred to the camp in Midyat and added that the Turkish state turned a UN-sourced refugee camp into a military base and thus committed a crime. HDP MP said the Turkish state placed soldiers and special war units into the refugee camp and, stating that this was against international conventions, demanded the necessary action to be taken.

“AKP HARBORS ENMITY TOWARDS THE ÊZIDÎS JUST LIKE ISIS”

Atalan said that the AKP trustee’s act showed that AKP harbors just as much enmity towards the Êzidîs and the Êzidî faith as ISIS.

“AKP showed enmity towards our Êzidî people and evacuated the Êzidî camp in Amed, and put the Êzidîs next to the gang supporters,” said HDP MP and added that the Êzidîs standing with and supporting the Kurdish people and the Kurdish movement in the face of this hostile operation of the trustee was significant and meaningful.

Atalan stated that the Êzidîs openly saying that they don’t trust the AKP Government and don’t want to go to a place determined by them is an important example in the transformation and rise of awareness in the Êzidî society and underlined that this is an important and good development.

“ÊZIDÎS ARE TORTURED, CAMP IS HIDDEN”

Atalan pointed out that the camp the Êzidîs are taken to is managed in a military order and that this military order was only imposed upon the Êzidîs, adding that the camp personnel had a derogatory approach towards the Êzidî people that at times went into torture territory. Atalan stated that the AFAD camp was closed to public and said: “As an Êzidî MP, I cannot enter this camp. The camp is isolated from the outside world. What is the purpose of this? The purpose is to cover up the practices imposed upon the Êzidî people there.

“OUR ALTERNATIVE IS READY”

Atalan stated that the best decision for Êzidîs is to return to Shengal, and also explained the alternatives devised by them instead of the cruelty camps of the state forces for those who didn’t return. Atalan talked about the alternatives for the Êzidîs currently in refugee camps: “We have a village project for our Êzidî people where they can live together and stay separately. Within the scope of this project, we are creating spaces where they can live in different Êzidî villages or in a single village. As such, we are creating a place in the Korixe village in Batman’s Beşiri district that can house the Êzidîs currently in camps. The material conditions for this alternative have been met, if they want they can live in this village or in different Êzidî villages. We have procured the necessary aid for this also.”

HDP MP mentioned the unity of the four parts of Kurdistan and stressed that Northern Kurdistan is also the motherland for the Êzidî people and that they can live there for as long as they want.