As part of its genocidal all-out war against the Kurdish people in various parts of Kurdistan, the Turkish state has launched a wave of large-scale air raids in southern Kurdistan, northern Iraq tonight.

20 fighter jets of the Turkish army are reported to have conducted the massive campaign which started at around 00:00 local time. The strikes targeted several positions in the regions of Qandil, Maxmur and Shengal (Sinjar), including a refugee camp and hospital.

The Yazidi Exile Council of Sinjar (Shengal) released a statement and asked: “What use did it have to end ISIS if Turkey is allowed to kill us anyway?”

The statement of the Yazidi Exile Council of Sinjar (MŞD) reads as follows:

“Today, 15 June, 2020, Turkey again bombed Sinjar, Iraq in a targeted and intended strike against the Yazidis. In one night Turkey bombed the survivors of a genocide 8 times. It is likely that a hospital was deliberately hit.

How many of our people is Turkey allowed to kill before this finally ends? Will the US and EU Members stop Turkey killing us? What use did it have to end ISIS if Turkey is allowed to kill us anyway? Why was all the money spent on defeating IS if Turkey is allowed to do the same now?

It is well known that the Yazidi religious community is the oldest religion in Mesopotamia. The Islamic State attacked the Yazidi religious community on August 3, 2014, and a cruel genocide was carried out. After this genocide, we Yazidis decided to found our own self-governing forces and fight against IS. Since we received no help at the beginning and afterwards and were left defenseless to the IS by the local armed forces. We then founded YBŞ, the self-governing armed forces of Sinjar, on January 14, 2015. To date and during the liberation of Sinjar, we have lost hundreds of Yazidi men and women in the fight against IS.

Even after that, we received no support from the United States, the United Nations or the European Community in any way for the reconstruction or the further fight against IS. Since the liberation from the IS terrorists, the Turkish state has repeatedly attacked the region in and around Sinjar. Since October 2019, simultaneously with the invasion of the Turkish state in North-East Syria, the Turkish state has bombed the region of Sinjar five times before today. Several Yazidi self-governing militants were killed in these previous attacks by the Turkish state.

We however refuse to become Turkish proxies! That is why Turkey bombs us and calls us 'PKK'. The US confirmed officially that the PKK left Sinjar. The YBŞ is part of the Iraqi army. All the world knows that Erdogan is a dictator who calls everyone 'PKK' or 'terrorist' and who says 'no' to Erdogan. We continue even now to say 'no' to Erdogan. We will not become his subjects under his control.

The Turkish state repeatedly attacks the Sinjar region and bombs the YBŞ positions. Based on these facts, there is no doubt that the Turkish government wants to continue the genocide of the Yazidi religion and empty the Sinjar region. Turkey wants to force all ethnicities and religious groups to become its proxies and servants. We refuse that and that is why Turkey decided to wipe us out.

We appeal once again to the United States, which controls Iraqi airspace, to stop Turkey from attacking the Yazidis. In the five previous Turkish attacks since October 2019, many civilians have already been killed and injured. The Yazidis pose no threat to Turkey. Nevertheless, the Yazidis are exposed to the attacks of the Turkish state without protection. It is incomprehensible to us Yazidis why the international public silently accepts the attacks by the Turkish state and does not stop their NATO partner in his violations of human rights.

We call on the United States to close Northern Iraqi airspace, particularly around the Sinjar region, with immediate effect for the Turkish state to stop Turkish air strikes. We expect a written confirmation of this measure. And we emphasize again that we are not a threat to Turkey, nor to any other country or religion. There is simply no justification for this Turkish aggression against us!”