Statements by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan were followed by an increase in military activity around Shengal, while new plans said to target the will of the Yazidi community were reported to be on the agenda. It was stated that initiatives specifically directed at the Shengal Autonomous Administration and the local defense forces are being discussed.
An important meeting was held today regarding the growing threats and dangers facing Shengal and the Yazidi community. Gathering in the district center, Shengal tribal leaders said that Mount Shengal is not merely a geographic piece of land but a sacred, religious, human, and historical symbol for the Yazidis. The statement underlined that Mount Shengal is a “red line.”
They want to leave the Yazidi community unprotected
The meeting was held in the city center with the participation of all tribal leaders in Shengal. Speaking at the opening of the meeting, Nayîf Şemo, Co-Chair of the Democratic Autonomous Council, said that new plans have been put into effect in the region and in Shengal alongside developments in the Middle East.
Şemo said, “They want to leave our Yazidi community unprotected. On the one hand, they want to remove Yazidi youth within the Popular Mobilization Forces (Haşdi Şabi) from Shengal and assign them to other cities in Iraq; on the other hand, through the Turkish state and certain figures around Shengal, they aim to dismantle the Shengal Resistance Units (YBŞ). If these plans are implemented, the Yazidi community will be left without defense forces.”
Calling on all tribal leaders and opinion leaders in the region, Şemo said a joint stance must be taken against these initiatives.
Assessments made during the meeting emphasized the importance of unity among Yazidi forces. After the meeting, a joint statement was issued on behalf of the entire Yazidi community.
There is an attempt to disrupt the region’s stability
In a statement made on behalf of the tribes in Mount Shengal, it was said that the region is passing through a sensitive and decisive period and that the current developments pose a threat to security and stability.
The statement said efforts are being made to ensure that the genocide and the catastrophe of forced displacement experienced because of ISIS attacks in 2014 are not repeated, and that the attitudes of certain regional actors and some non-Yazidi parliamentarians are being followed with concern.
It was stated that some circles who see themselves as close to the Popular Mobilization Forces are disrupting the peace of the region and acting in line with external agendas.
We do not accept threats against Mount Shengal
The statement said external actors are seeking to forcibly establish new control over Mount Shengal, stressing that this will under no circumstances be accepted. It said the parties in question would be held legally, morally, and tribally responsible for initiatives that threaten the security of the region. The statement added that if these policies lead to a new wave of forced displacement, responsibility will lie with those concerned.
Mount Shengal is the last refuge for the Yazidis
The statement underlined that Mount Shengal is not merely a geographic area but a sacred, religious, and historical symbol for the Yazidis. Protected for centuries as a last refuge against decrees and massacres, the mountain was described as a “red line” for the Yazidi community.
It said any attempt to impose control by force would be regarded as the usurpation of the people’s will and an attack on identity, warning that such moves could undermine social peace and lead to the displacement of civilians.
We reject a new war
The statement concluded by emphasizing support for security, stability, and dialogue, and by rejecting any new military intervention or attempts to wage war against the land. Calling the Federal Government, the Regional Government, and all national forces, it urged them to fulfill their responsibility to protect Shengal and its people and to prevent a new wave of forced displacement.
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