Family of Mam Zeki: ‘The world is playing ostrich’

Turkish fighter jets bombarded the area of Suka Kevin in Shengal on August 16 and the hospital in Sikeniye village on August 17. The systematic attacks by the Turkish state against Shengal draw reactions from the Kurdish people from all four parts of Kurdistan and the diaspora.

The family of İsmail Özden (Mam Zeki Şengali) who fell martyr in a targeted operation conducted by the Turkish state and its local collaborators on 15 August 2018 spoke out against the genocidal policies targeting the Yazidi people. Hesen Özden speaking on behalf of the family said, “Following the 2014 onslaught and the following liberation of Shengal from ISIS, the region the target of the Turkish state. The Turkish state targeted the leading figures of Shengal and brutally slaughtered Mam Zeki in 2018. This happened because Mam Zeki had become a symbol of struggle among his society in the region. He had gathered Yazidi people and enabled them to stand on their own. They had their council and the people had adopted self-governance. In response to these developments, the Turkish state and its supporters conducted that malicious attack against Mam Zeki.”

Date of August 15 is an intentional preference

Recalling that the 15th of August means the national resurrection day for the Kurdish people, Özden remarked that the Turkish state intentionally conducted these attacks coinciding with this date, and said, “They try to darken our resurrection day by carrying out such attacks on this very day.”

‘The world is playing ostrich’

Assessing the latest attacks on Shengal, Özden continued, “Recently, through a malicious attack, they slaughtered Seid Hesen, a commander of Shengal Resistance Units (YBŞ) and İsa Xwededa, a YBŞ fighter. Moreover, they attacked a hospital on August 17 and killed more of our people. Such attacks must not be accepted by any country. However, we have been witnessing that the whole world is playing ostrich. Why? Because the Kurds die! This is why they remain silent. We, as the family of Mam Zeki, will never remain silent against this persecution and massacres. We must all together enhance the struggle.”