ŞIRNAK - HDP Silopi District Co-chair Zozan Aşkın, who called for Turkey’s attacks on Shengal not to remain silent, said: ‘’We will not allow the 75th edict to be carried out on the Yazidis. We do not accept this silence’’, while HDP Silopi Women’s Council member Fehime Saruhan said: ‘’The attack on Shengal is an attack on all humanity.’’

 

Shengal Resistance Units (YBŞ) Commander Seîd Hesen Seîd and his nephew İsa Xwededa lost their lives in the airstrike carried out by the Turkish Armed Forces on the city center of Shengal on August 16. Then, with the airstrike on August 17, the hospital in Sikeniyê, where patients were treated, bombed the hospital, causing eight deaths and four injuries. Nurse Muhlise Sîdar and three of her colleagues were among those who lost their lives.

 

Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Silopi District Co-chair Zozan Aşkın and HDP Silopi Women’s Council member Fehime Saruhan expressed their reactions to these attacks carried out by Turkey in front of the world public opinion.

 

‘The Yazidi people do not give up their lands’

 

HDP Silopi Co-chair Zozan Aşkın said that the AKP has been carrying out attacks against the Kurdish people since the day it came to power. She continued: ‘’The Yazidi people have passed through 74 edicts. Yazidis were massacred by ISIS gangs and women were kidnapped. Yazidi women were sold in the markets. The fate of many Yazidi women today is unknown. The government attacks not only the Kurdish people, but also women. Despite so many edicts, the Yazidi people did not abandon their culture, home and homeland. Despite the attacks and difficulties, they survived. They still continue to resist. For this reason, the AKP government should know well that the Kurdish people will never stop defending their homeland. The Yazidi people did not and will not end with the massacres. The main aim of the government is to capture Shengal and migrate the Yazidi people, but our people are not giving up their lands or their homeland.’’

 

‘We do not accept this silence’

 

Underlining that the AKP-MHP government's attacks are aimed at the organization of Kurdish women, Zozan said: ‘’The government wants to destroy women. But women are fighting against attacks in all areas. Women became a shield against attacks. The will and power of women will never disappear. Our people need to stand up and show their reaction against the attacks against Shengal. We must prevent a new edict. We must not accept this silence.’’

 

‘The Yazidi people won with their own struggles’

 

Fehime Saruhan, a member of HDP Silopi Women’s Council, reminded the edict of ISIS against Yazidis on August 3, 2014: ‘’When this edict was made, 5000 Yazidis lost their lives and 10000 Yazidis were taken hostage by ISIS. The whereabouts of many Yazidi women are still unknown. There the KDP was defeated by ISIS and withdrew its peshmerga. The Yazidi people won that war with their own struggles.’’

 

‘Women lead the struggle in Shengal’

 

Stating that the attacks against Shengal and intolerance still continue, Fehime underlined that the attacks against Shengal were carried out with the hand of Turkey. Fehime said: ‘’It is seen that Turkey wants to carry out a new edict in these attacks. On the anniversary of the edict of ISIS in Shengal, an attack by Turkey took place in the region. And the Yazidi people were targeted and the massacre took place. We women do not accept these attacks. These are attacks against the value, culture and belief of Shengal. The Yazidi people only want to live according to their own values. Killing Yazidis is seen as a tradition by the government, but Yazidis are no longer what they used to be. They defend themselves by taking up arms to protect their own lands. They have self-defense forces in every field. The Yazidi people do not give up their lands and values, they protect them. But these alone are not enough. Everyone needs to stand up for Shengal and support them. It is against the morals of war. War has to have a morality. Despite all the difficulties, women are leading the resistance in Shengal. All countries should be with Shengal. The attack on Shengal is an attack on all humanity. Yazidism is a culture and belief. We need to embrace this belief and stand by the Yazidi people.’’