Rallies were held in many cities across Turkey and Northern Kurdistan today to condemn the genocide of 3 August 2014 committed by ISIS gangs against the Kurdish Êzidî community in Shengal, Southern Kurdistan, on its third anniversary.

ADANA

HDP Women's Council in Adana issued a statement in front of the party's building in condemnation of the genocide of the Êzidîs. HDP provincial Co-chair Gülseren Tural read the statement, stressing that: "In this genocide of the 21st century the Êzidî people were slaughtered, raped, tortured and displaced en masse, while Êzidî girls and women were enslaved under the name of war loot."

Tural pointed out that they interpret this genocide also as planned femicide and said: "We, the Women's Council of the HDP in Adana will continue the struggle against the oppression and murder of women side by side with all the women around the globe."

MERSİN

HDP Women's Council in Mersin also held a press conference in front of the building of their party. Speaking on behalf of the women, Hatice Şahin said: "In each and every war and genocide, it is the women that are targeted the most", recalling that three years ago Êzidî women were massacred and raped systematically in Shengal. At the end Şahin said: "We will work towards the prosecution of those who are responsible."

ANTALYA

HDP Women's Council in Antalya gathered in front of the Atalos statue at the Murat Paşa Square despite the police blockade. After a minute of silence the women were set to issue their statement but were prevented by the police under the pretext of the "state of emergency", what was protested by the women with clapping and whistling.

URFA

Activists of the Free Women’s Movement (TJA) gathered in front of the HDP bureau in Urfa and condemned the genocide of the Êzidîs. Speaking on behalf of the women, HDP provincial Co-chair Ayşe Sürücü recalled that the Êzidî community has faced a horrible genocide in the Middle East, in which once again the women were the biggest victims.

Sürücü said: "The Êzidîs living in the Turkish state-run AFAD refugee camps are facing the exact same mentality like the one of ISIS. In order not to leave the Êzidîs alone in the hands of the fascism of the AKP and MHP, we have to defy the system of enslaving people that is inherent in Turkey."

ISTANBUL

The Platform of Struggle for Kidnapped Women issued a statement on the 3rd anniversary of the genocidal attacks of ISIS in front of the Süreyya Opera in Kadıköy.

Speaking on behalf of the platform, Ayşe Berktay read out the statement, saying that following the genocide, the Êzidîs were first accommodated in the camps organised by the DBP-held municipalities but these caps were shut down by the trustees the state appointed to municipalities in place of elected mayors, which consequently forced the Êzidîs living in those camps to leave to other countries. Berktay pointed out that they will continue their struggle until 3 August is declared as the "Day of International Action against Femicide and Genocide".

Following the statement the demonstrators visited the "Justice and Conscience Vigil" of the HDP in the Yogurtçu Park.

MARDİN

In the city of Mardin the HDP, DBP, TJA, Peace Mothers and Platform of Struggle for Kidnapped Women made a joint statement on the anniversary of the Shengal Genocide, which was read by DBP Party Assembly member Semire Kurt. The statement said that "the Êzidîs suffered the most ferocious genocide of the 21st century, and countless women and children were abducted by the ISIS gangs. Within the last three years the Êzidîs faced still much discriminatory policies in many countries worldwide"

ŞIRNAK

Also women in Şırnak city came together in front of the HDP office in Cizre and issued a statement. Speaking on behalf of the women in Şırnak, Nuran Imir said: "Genocide and femicide are crimes against humanity, and we will seek justice until those responsible are called to account."