Village guards attempt to defraud Yazidis in Midyat

After the refugee camp closed down, the village guards have been trying to defraud Yazidis who want to stay in Midyat. HDP members supporting the Yazidis have also been attacked.

The Migration Directorate under the Turkish Interior Ministry had recently announced that 5 refugee camps in Antep, Adiyaman and Mardin were to be evacuated and the refugees there were to be settled in camps in Hatay, Kilis and Urfa. The move continues in the camp in Midyat, Mardin still.

Many Syrian migrant families in the camp, including Yazidi families, have been moved to various camps.

Most of the Yazidis who don’t want to settle in other camps have chosen to stay in the district and rent homes. But there are people, including village guards (local groups armed by the state to fight against the Kurdish people and their freedom struggle), are trying to take advantage of the situation and defraud the Yazidis. Village guards ask for commissions and very high rates to Yazidis looking to rent, and attempt to settle the people in houses they have determined beforehand.

When Yazidis noticed this was the case, they appealed to the Solidarity with People of Shengal commission formed by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) district office. HDP members and Yazidis met the other day to find a solution. A group including village guards attacked the HDP members after this meeting.

Syriac HDP Member Firat Kucukaslan was wounded in the attack. Kucukaslan has bruises on his body, and was told “not to meddle in this issue too much” during the attack.

Kucukaslan said the village guards told them, “When we need honor, we will take honor from these people by force. When we need money, we will take money from them by force. You people shouldn’t meddle in thi issue too much, bad things will happen if you do.”

One of the attacked, HDP Mardin Provincial Administrator Huseyin Alper said their solidarity with the Yazidis doesn’t sit well with certain groups and pointed out that the attackers were state officials.