The Yazidi Exile Council of Sinjar (Shengal) issued an appeal to the UN, the US and the European Union, following the new attack on Shengal carried out by the Turkish state on Wednesday.

The statement reads: "It is well known that the Yazidi religious community is the oldest religion in Mesopotamia. The Islamic State attacked the Yazidi religious community on 3 August 2014, and a cruel genocide was carried out. After this genocide, we Yezidis decided to found our own self-governing forces and fight against IS.

Since we received no help at the beginning and afterwards and were left defenseless to the IS by the local armed forces. We then founded YBS, the self-governing armed forces of Sinjar, on 14 January 2015. To date and the liberation of Sinjar, we have lost hundreds of Yezidi men and women in the fight against IS."

The Council recalled that "even after that, we received no support from the United States, the United Nations or the European Community in any way for the reconstruction or the further fight against IS.

Since the liberation from the IS terrorists, the Turkish state has repeatedly attacked the region in and around Sinjar. Since October 2019, simultaneously with the invasion of the Turkish state in Rojava, the Turkish state has bombed the region in Sinjar four times to date. Several Yazidi self-governing militants were killed in the attacks by the Turkish state."

The statement added: "The YBS are the protection units of the Yazidis, they are responsible for the protection of the Yazidi religious community in the Sinjar region. Without the YBS, it would not be possible for 140,000 Yazidis to return to their homeland, the Sinjar region.

The Turkish state repeatedly attacks the Sinjar region and bombs the YBS positions."

Based on these facts, said the Council "there is no doubt that the Turkish government wants to genocide the Yezidis religion again and empty the Sinjar region.

We appeal once again to the United States, which controls Iraqi airspace, to stop Turkey from attacking the Yazidis. In the four Turkish attacks since October 2019, many civilians have been killed and injured."

The statement continued: "We want to make it clear once again that these people who are bombed by the Turkish state are the same fighters who protect the Yazidis.The Yazidis pose no threat to Turkey. Nevertheless, the Yazidis are exposed to the attacks of the Turkish state without protection.

It is incomprehensible to us Yezidis why the international public silently accepts the attacks by the Turkish state and does not stop their NATO partner in his violations of human rights. We call on the United States to close Northern Iraqi airspace, particularly around the Sinjar region, with immediate effect for the Turkish state, thereby stopping Turkish air strikes.

We expect a written confirmation of this measure. And emphasize again that we are not a threat to Turkey, nor to any other country or religion."