The Kurdish Women’s Relations Office (REPAK) released a statement on the current threats faced by the Yazidi community in Shengal who survived a genocide by ISIS in 2014.

The statement by REPAK includes the following:

“In recent days there have been disturbing reports from Shengal (Sinjar) of the Yazidi community in Southern Kurdistan (Northern Iraq). The Iraqi army wants to gradually eliminate the self-government of the Yazidis in Shengal after the genocide of 3 August 2014 and the self-defence forces they organised. Yazidi security forces organised as internal security forces are being pressured to leave their posts. The situation came to a head when the people protested against the conditions and the threat from the Iraqi army.

The Iraqi government signed an agreement on Shengal with the KDP on 9 October 2020, in which the Yazidis living in Shengal were ignored and not included in any way at the request of the Turkish State and the USA. The main purpose of this agreement is to destroy the self-governance system that the Yazidi community has built after 74 genocides and to put Shengal in the state it was before August 2014. As a minority of an ancient religion that originated in Mesopotamia, the Yazidis lived for a long time without being known to the world. Because of their religious identity, they were subjected to 74 genocides throughout their history and became world famous through the genocide of 3 August 2014. As a symbolic expression of all evil, ISIS carried out an invasion attack on the morning of 3 August aimed at eliminating all Yazidis. While thousands of Yazidis were murdered here, hundreds of them perished on Shengal Mountain, where they sought refuge for days, starving and thirsty. The misogynist ISIS carried out the genocide of the Yazidis in Shengal largely in the form of femicide. It abducted thousands of Yazidi women and girls as "prey" and sold them in slave markets. In this way, he wanted to abolish the Yazidi community. While many women abducted by ISIS have been rescued by YPJ and YPG forces, especially in Rojava, the fate of thousands remains unknown. The brutality experienced by Yazidi women who survived the hell of ISIS is a disgrace to humanity in the 21st century. This genocide will only end when the last kidnapped and enslaved Yazidi woman is rescued.

Despite the fact that more than 6 years have passed since the ISIS attack, which the Yazidis call the 74th Ferman (genocide), the criminals have not been held accountable, those responsible have not been brought to justice, the wounds caused by the genocide have not been healed and the crimes against women have not been addressed, and so the dangerous living conditions of the Yazidis continue to reproduce themselves. The Iraqi central government and the KDP, which did not protect the Yazidis in Shengal from the ISIS attacks and even made them more vulnerable, have so far not apologised to the Yazidi community. This time, by signing an agreement, they want to ignore this crime against humanity, cover it up and deny their responsibility for the genocide. They are forcing the Yazidi community of Shengal, whose wounds are still bleeding, to pretend that nothing happened.

With regard to Turkey, the situation is different. Many states no longer feel the need to hide the fact that it is the Erdogan government that has supported and is supporting ISIS with all its planning. We have seen with our own eyes in recent years who and how Turkey has allowed to attack through ISIS and how we have been treated. The Turkish state targeted Rojava, ISIS attacked it. The Turkish government targeted the HDP, ISIS attacked the HDP rally. Turkey targeted Maxmur refugee camp, IS attacked. Turkish Republic targeted Shengal and ISIS attacked. It is obvious that the fascist AKP-MHP regime is using the ISIS as an army of occupation and genocide in line with its own interests.

Today, especially in the case of Shengal, we are witnessing the Turkish state's anti-Kurdish and neo-Ottoman ambitions destabilising the entire region. Turkey, the Iraqi government and the KDP say themselves that they will "do what is necessary" to destroy the self-government and self-defence of the region.

The Turkish army, which has carried out many airstrikes against Shengal in recent years, is now trying to select new targets by conducting reconnaissance missions over the region. In this respect, the Turkish government is striving to complete the genocide of the Yazidis, which ISIS has left unfinished. This fact must be clearly recognised. It must not be forgotten that the Yazidis from Northern Kurdistan (Southeast Turkey) had to seek refuge in Germany, Armenia and Russia because they were brought under the threat of genocide by the Turkish state. Turkey used to be home to many different cultures and peoples, such as the Yazidis, but due to realpolitik there are hardly any groups left who can live in their own homeland, within the Turkish state borders. The Turkish state is trying to repeat the same thing in Shengal this time and is pursuing occupation ambitions in northern Iraq (southern Kurdistan) and northern Syria and Rojava in line with its neo-Ottoman policy. It claims that these places are its own country.

With the genocide on 3 August 2014, the Yazidi community, which has experienced 74 genocides so far, is struggling for pure survival, healing its wounds and freeing itself from the aftermath of the genocide. For this reason, despite all the impositions, threats and attacks, the Yazidi community does not leave its land, which it considers sacred. It has resisted for more than 6 years and does not flee. In line with the experience learned from the recent genocidal attack, the community formed its self-governance and self-defence in order not to depend on anyone again and to be able to determine its own destiny like all societies. It tried to restructure itself in solidarity. Living the threat of genocide in the 21st century so closely in front of the eyes of the whole world has highlighted the need for self-defence and self-governance. Yazidi women in particular state that they understand that they need more than bread and water, for which they pay a high price and accept the suffering.

Every person and every society has the right to live freely in security. A society exists with its own organisation. It is sacred for a society to develop its own organisation and take its own responsibility, and this must be respected. The habit of centralised power forces to make decisions about them by disregarding the will of the peoples is no longer accepted in any way. It is important to recognise and implement the natural rights of every society for democracy, peace, tranquility and security. In this context, we call on the Iraqi government to denounce the Shengal Agreement of 9 October and by doing so to serve social peace and democratic coexistence in the country.

However, we underline that the defence of one's will is the most significant support that can be given to the Yazidi community in Shengal, which experienced the genocidal attack of 3 August 2014. We call on all those who are for peace, democracy and justice, especially women's organisations and institutions, to stand in solidarity with the Yazidi community in Shengal and use all means for the official recognition of the self-rule created by the people and to declare the agreement as invalid.”