While the Turkish state continues its invasion attacks against the PKK-held Medya Defense Zones in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq), the Iraqi army has recently launched an aggression on the Yazidi town of Şengal (Sinjar).

Heinz Bierbaum, the President of the European Left, released a statement commenting on the current situation, which includes the following:

“Turkey has been waging a war against Iraq for two weeks. At the same time, the Iraqi army has begun attacking Yazidi areas in Sinjar. In 2014, people there had to flee from the Islamic State, thousands of people were murdered and thousands of women were taken prisoner and enslaved.

This time, however, it is the Iraqi army itself that is forcing people to flee. This military action is related to Turkey’s attacks in northern Iraq. For them, the Sinjar region is a strategically important area in the fight against the PKK, and it seems like they won’t hold back by any means.

We condemn these attacks! The world community must not turn a blind eye when Yazidis, in their long history of persecution and expulsion, once again fall victim to arbitrary power politics!

And Europe can no longer look the other way when the NATO member carries out attacks that violate international law! Peace for all people in Iraq can be only achieved if Iraq is no longer the playground of external interests, and if military attacks are finally punished accordingly!”