VAN - Even though it has been 9 years since the 74th massacre against Ezidis, the fate of thousands of women is still unknown. Feleknas Uca called for the struggle for the freedom of prisoners.

 

ISIS, driven by global powers to the area of the Middle East, seized the Iraqi city of Mosul and launched its genocidal attacks against the peoples of the region. After the occupation of Mosul, on the night of August 2 to August 3, 2014, ISIS's attacks on the villages around Mount Shengal, targeting Ezidis, turned into genocide. The KDP forces and the Iraqi Army, withdrawing from Shengal with the attacks, caused the 74th Ferman against the Ezidis. Thousands of Ezidis were killed, thousands of women and children were taken prisoner, tens of thousands of them fell on their way to emigration, and thousands of women were sold in slave markets. After the genocide attacks of ISIS, 12 HPG members who reached Shengal repelled the ISIS attacks. Ezidis were saved after the Civil Defense Units (Yekineyên Parastinên Sivîl-YPG) opened a life corridor from Northern and Eastern Syria. Although 9 years have passed since the genocide, which the Yazidis describe as the 74th Edict, it is estimated that 2,700 Ezidi women are being held captive by ISIS.

 

Ezidis, who crossed the corridors opened by YPG members to Northern and Eastern Syria, were placed in the Newroz camp; Tens of thousands of Ezidis crossed the border of the Heftanîn region of the Federated Kurdistan Region through the corridor opened by HPG members to Turkey. Ezidis were settled in tent cities established in Şirnex(Şırnak), Cizîr(Cizre), Silopya(Slopi), Êlih(Batman), Merdîn(Mardin), Sert(Siirt) and Amed(Diyarbakır).

 

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Foreign Relations Commission Co-Spokesperson Feleknas Uca and Ezidi activist Azzat Alsaleem evaluated the genocidal attacks of ISIS, the withdrawal of the KDP, and Turkey's role in the attacks.

 

Stating that the 74th Ferman was experienced before the eyes of the world, Feleknas Uca said that this massacre was a deep wound for the Yazidis. Reminding that thousands of women captured by ISIS were sold in Mosul markets, Uca said: "Each woman has been sold dozens of times."

 

POLITICS OF EXTERMINATION

 

Drawing attention to the fact that the women and children who were kidnapped by ISIS have emerged in other cities, Uca said: "Many women were sold in Germany and Turkey, and that many children appeared in cities such as Ankara and Kırşehir. Where is Ankara, where is Şengal? On the way from Amed to Êlih(Batman), we go through searches at three points. How are these women brought to Ankara? There are Êzidî women who are still missing and in their hands, we must fight to save and liberate them. Ezidi women captured are not only in Ankara and Syria, we know that some women are detained even in Urfa, we also know that there are women in countries such as Tunisia and Egypt. A market was established based on the female body and the Ezidi faith. They did their best to eradicate and destroy the Ezidi faith. This is the policy of exterminating the Ezidis."

 

ISIS-TÜRKİYE COOPERATION

 

Expressing that there is cooperation between ISIS and Turkey, Uca recalled the photographs taken of ISIS members and Turkish soldiers on the border line during the attacks against Kobanê. Uca added that ISIS leaders and members also reside and live in Turkey.

 

ATTACKS AGAINST SHENGAL

 

Expressing that Turkey has great anger towards the Ezidis and that this is continued with the attacks against Shengal, he said: “They are raining bombs on people who have been so persecuted, and they are killing their leaders. They see the evacuation of Shengal as the evacuation of Kurdistan and the disappearance of Êzidism. Those who leave the Shengal people alone in these processes must be put on trial. There were thousands of peshmerga in Shengal at that time, why did they leave their weapons? Why were Yazidi women left alone? These questions need to be answered.”

 

MA / Berivan Kutlu