ISIS families, a problem for Rojava

ISIS emerged after the collapse of Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship as a result of the US intervention in 2003. In 2013, the group received support to come to “power” in Syria. YPG, YPJ and SDF (Syrian Democratic Force) fighters fought and stopped ISIS. However, ISIS mercenaries continue to be a problem for Rojava.

Appeared after 2003 and became more active in Syria in 2013, ISIS made a breakthrough by capturing Minix Airport.

The Minix Airport is located in the Azez-Afrin-Aleppo triangle. A year before ISIS took it over, the airport was besieged by groups that called themselves the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and changed their name to the Islamic Front in 2013. After capturing Minix Airport, ISIS started to occupy many places together with Jabhat Al Nusra and other groups that pledged allegiance to it.

ATTACKS ON MOSUL, ŞENGAL AND KOBANÊ

With the external support of many international powers and the open support of the Turkish state and Erdoğan, ISIS gradually occupied the entire region. ISIS wanted to occupy the areas of revolution by channelling its attacks towards the Kurds and the peoples of North and East Syria. Following large-scale attacks, the group captured Mosul, Tikrit, Til Afer and Şengal in Iraq. ISIS mercenaries reached the vicinity of Hewler (Erbil) and captured places such as Rabia and Zumar including the Maxmur region.

ISIS confiscated weapons of a Syrian Army’s Division in Ain Issa and launched an attack on Kobanê, where the Rojava Revolution started, on September 13, 2014 in North and East Syria. Its aim was to strangle the revolution where it began.

As a result of historical resistance, the group was defeated by YPG-YPJ fighters in Kobanê on January 27, 2015, which marked the beginning of its disintegration.

After Kobanê, ISIS was removed from places such as Girê Spî, Tabqa, Hol and Sheddad.

In 2017, only Deir ez-Zor remained in the hands of ISIS mercenaries who were removed from Raqqa, which was the “Caliphate capital”.

The group’s military domination ended in the region when it was expelled from Bahoz in 2019 after a long struggle and resistance.

THOUSANDS OF MERCENARIES LAID DOWN ARMS BUT…

The SDF, YPG and YPJ put an end to the territorial and military domination of ISIS as a result of their struggle which left thousands of martyrs. Around 12 thousand ISIS fighters and around 70,000 wives and children of them were captured.

The detained ISIS mercenaries were nationals of 46 countries. Their wives and children were taken to the camps.

ISIS mercenaries are kept in prisons built for them in North and East Syria.

The Rojava administration has called on international forces to put ISIS fighters on trial. It has demanded that the former members of the group should either be delivered to the countries of which they are citizens or be tried collectively in an international court to be established in North and East Syria.

The International powers have not responded to any of these demands of the Rojava administration so far. Some countries even revoked the citizenship of the former fighters. Nor have they taken any steps to pave the way for their prosecution in North and East Syria. The problem is not only 12 thousand ISIS prisoners. The main problem is their nearly 70,000 wives and children.

The wives and children of the mercenaries are held in two camps in North and East Syria. One of these camps is Hol Camp where 60 thousand people stay. The other is the Roj Camp near Derik. About 2 thousand ISIS wives and children live in this camp. These camps pose serious threats.

WOMEN AND CHILDREN DELIVERED TO THEIR COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN IN 2018-2019

Despite repeated calls by the Rojava Administration, the number of women and children delivered to their countries of origin does not even constitute 2 percent of the total number.

The following are the countries which accepted to receive the women and children of ISIS members between 2018 and 2019:

* On January 21, 2019, 2 children were delivered to the Republic of Trinidad Islands in Qamishlo.

* On June 22, 2019, 8 children were delivered to the Australian Foreign Relations Office in Qamishlo.

* On March 25, 2019, 8 children were delivered to the Russian Foreign Relations Office in Ain Issa and Qamishlo.

* On November 12, 2017, 29 children and 13 women were delivered by the SDF.

* On December 18, 2018, 2 children and 1 woman were delivered to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in Qamishlo.

* On May 8, 2019, a woman was delivered to the Armenian Catholic Community of Jazira and the Euphrates Region.

* On June 23 and November 20, 2019, two children were delivered to the Danish Foreign Relations Office in Semalka.

* On May 7, 2019, 7 children were delivered to the Swedish Foreign Relations Office in Semalka.

* On May 8 and November 22, 2019, 6 children and 5 women were delivered to the US Foreign Relations Office in Ain Issa.

* On May 29, 2019, 88 children and 60 women were delivered to the Uzbekistan Foreign Relations Office in Qamishlo.

* On September 5, 2019, three children were delivered to the Nigerian Foreign Relations Office in Qamishlo.

* On November 6, 2019, a child was delivered to the Italian Red Cross and the Syrian Red Crescent in Qamishlo.

* On September 20, 2018 and April 22, 2019, 6 children and 1 woman were delivered to the Sudanese Government Office in Damascus.

* On June 2, 2019, 5 children were delivered to the Norwegian Foreign Relations Office.

* On November 22, 2019, 7 children and 1 woman were delivered to the German Foreign Relations Office in Semalka.

* On November 21, 2019, 3 children were delivered to the British Foreign Relations Office in Semalka.

* On November 2, 2019, 2 children were delivered to the Austrian Foreign Relations Office in Semalka.

* On June 12, 2019, 6 children were delivered to the Belgian Foreign Relations Office in Ain Issa.

* On June 8, 2019, 2 children were delivered to the Netherlands Foreign Relations Office.

* 101 women were delivered to the Kazakhstan Foreign Relations Office.

* On December 21, 2019, 2 children were delivered to the Finnish Foreign Relations Office in Qamishlo.

In 2018 and 2019, a total of 183 women and 206 children were delivered to their countries.

WOMEN AND CHILDREN HANDED OVER IN 2020

* On January 14, 2020, 2 children and 1 woman were delivered to Norway.

* On January 22, 2020, 1 child and 2 women were delivered to the Iraqi Kurdistan Executive Council in Semalka.

* On February 6, 2020, 35 children were delivered to the Russian Foreign Relations Office.

* On June 21, 2020, 10 children were delivered to the French Foreign Relations Office.

* On September 8, 2020, 15 children were delivered to the Russian Union for the Rights of the Child.

* On September 15, 2020, 1 child was delivered to the British Syria Delegation.

* On November 4, 2020, 1 child was delivered to Canada.

* On October 14, 2020, 27 children were delivered to the Russian Union for the Rights of the Child.

* On October 25, 2020, 3 children and 1 woman were delivered to the Albania, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan Representative Offices.

* On October 12, 2020, 30 children were delivered to the Russian Union for the Rights of the Child.

* 125 children and only 4 women were received by their country in 2020.

WOMEN AND CHILDREN HANDED OVER IN 2021

* On March 30, 2021, 68 children and 24 women were delivered to the Uzbekistan Foreign Relations Office.

* On March 18, 2021, 34 children were delivered to the Russian Foreign Relations Office.

* On July 3, 2021, 20 children were delivered to the Russian Foreign Relations Office.

* On March 12 and June 26, 2021, 2 children were delivered to the Canadian Foreign Relations Office.

* On February 12, 2021, 7 children were delivered to France.

* On June 5, 2021, 3 children and 1 woman were delivered to the Netherlands.

* 7 children and 1 woman were delivered to Ukraine.

* On February 1, 2021, 2 children and 1 woman were delivered to South Kurdistan.

* On June 28, July 5 and July 13, 2021, a total of 12 children and 8 women were delivered.

* On 14 July 2021, 2 children and 1 woman were delivered to the Finnish Foreign Relations Office.

* On July 15, 2021, 10 children and 6 women were delivered to the Belgian Foreign Relations Office.

* On July 17, 2021, 9 children and 2 women were delivered to Macedonia.

* On July 31, 2021, 14 children and 5 women were delivered to Albania.

* On August 18, 2021, 2 children were delivered to Palestine.

* On September 5, 2021, 6 children and 3 women were delivered to the Swedish Foreign Relations Office.

* On September 20, 2021, 8 children and 3 women were delivered.

* On October 6, 2021, 23 children and 8 women were delivered to the German Foreign Relations Office.

* On October 6, 2021, 14 children and 3 women were delivered to the Danish Foreign Relations Office.

* On October 18, 2021, 3 children were delivered to the British Foreign Relations Office.

* On November 12, 2021, 7 children were delivered to the French Foreign Relations Office.

* On November 22, 2021, 1 child was delivered to the Norwegian Foreign Relations Office.

* On December 6, 2021, 2 children were delivered to the Swiss Foreign Relations Office in Semalka.

* On March 4, 2021, 10 Yazidi children and their mothers were received.

A total of 249 children and 66 women were delivered to their countries where they hold citizenship.