The Kurdish Democratic Societies Congress in Europe (KCDK-E) released a statement on the occasion of the 3 August 2014 genocide committed by ISIS against the Yazidi people in Shengal (Sinjar) town in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq).

Pointing out that the onslaught nine years ago sought to annihilate the Yazidi community, KCDK-E noted that the ISIS gangs raised and supported by the Turkish state ruled by dictator Erdoğan and the reactionary forces in the region attacked Shengal and committed genocide on 3 August 2014.

“The genocide against Yazidi Kurds went down in history as the greatest shame of the 21st century. This tragedy, which took place in Shengal before the very eyes of the whole world, was overlooked by the regional government of the KDP and watched silently by the world. ISIS gangs perpetrated a mass slaughter with the courage they took from the silence of the world and the betrayal of the KDP,” said the statement on Tuesday.

KCDK-E criticised the worldwide silence in the face of the genocide against Yazidi Kurds, and the abduction, murder and sale of Yazidi women and children in slave markets.

“With great self-sacrifice and devotion, the forces of the HPG, YJA STAR, YPG and YPJ saved the Yazidi Kurds from the genocidal onslaught and freed Shengal. With great heroism, the selfless forces of freedom saved the lives of thousands of Yazidi Kurds. Having been through the 74th genocide in their history, our Yazidi people formed their self-defense forces to avoid another massacre and built the Shengal Resistance Units (YBŞ) and Shengal Women’s Units (YJŞ). Our Yazidi people founded their self-governing system, by which the will of the people is represented today,” KCDK-E said.

KCDK-E warned that the danger faced by Shengal is not over yet as the Turkish state continues its attacks and threats against the Yazidi settlement as a complete substitute for ISIS. “Seeking to invade South Kurdistan, dictator Erdoğan maintains his ambition to realize what ISIS couldn’t. The KDP’s politics and cooperation with the Turkish army increases the threat of genocide.”

“We condemn the Yazidi genocide, which was perpetrated before the eyes of the world as the shame of the century. The United Nations and all international institutions should recognize the status of Shengal and take steps to prevent a genocide. The recognition of Shengal, the holy settlement of the Yazidis, is the main demand of the Yazidi people. On this basis, the self-defense and self-government founded by the people of Shengal to protect themselves should be acknowledged,” KCDK-E said.

KCDK-E called for strong participation in the demonstrations to be staged in solidarity with Shengal on 3 August 2023 and called for enhanced action to embrace Shengal and prevent further attacks against it, saying, “It is a duty of honor for all Kurds to embrace and develop the self-government of Shengal.”