Êzîdî women respond to Barzani: We won't let the PKK leave Shengal

Shengal Êzîdî Women's Assembly made a press statement condemning the Shengal policy of Massoud Barzani and KDP. Women underlined that they will not let the PKK leave Shengal as long as they remain in their lands and mountains.

Shengal Êzîdî Women's Assembly strongly condemned the KDP President Massoud Barzani's meeting with Êzîdî community leaders in the village of Sıhêla where he pressured Êzidîs to fight against the PKK earlier this week. In the meeting, Masoud Barzani stated that the PKK’s existence in Shengal should be ended and asked Êzidî peshmergas and people to take a stance against the PKK openly. Accordingly, Barzani said that the existence of two authorities in Shengal should be ended, and the Êzidî peshmergas and people should take an open stance against the PKK and kick it out of Shengal. Barzani also said that they would fight the PKK if it refuses to leave Shengal.

Speaking at the press conference, Shengal Êzîdî Women's Assembly Spokesperson Naem İlyas reacted to the recent developments, saying; “Barzani is calling for the PKK's leave from Shengal instead of giving an account of the thousands of women taken captive by ISIS. Êzîdî women are not like how they used to be. We will no more remain silent on the injustices and betrayal we are facing. Barzani is gathering a meeting with the aim of driving the PKK out of Shengal while our villages are still under ISIS occupation. Barzani and KDP should firstly liberate the captive Êzîdî women and our villages.”

Regarding the policies pursued on the Êzîdî community, Naem underlined that KDP and Barzani's goal was to evacuate the Êzîdîs from Shengal lands, adding; "Thousands of Êzîdîs died and many others were forced to migrate to Europe, a quarter of whom drowned in the sea on their way. The rest is holding on to life in these mountains and Barzani now wants to make them confront each other. The whole world should know that they will not manage to create a conflict among the Êzîdîs. While 13 thousand peshmergas fled Shengal, PKK came to our help here. They liberated our lands with the blood of martyrs and nobody can tell them to leave now."

Calling attention to Barzani's secret alliances with Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan, Naem said; "Barzani is holding secret meetings with Erdoğan who later bomb innocent people and shell the towns with tanks. They are the ISIS itself."