NEWS CENTER - Bîro Berakat from the Sinjar Autonomous Assembly pointed out that the city center was completely liberated with the struggle of 12 HPG fighters who saved Yazidis from the ISIS attack, “They gave strength to this society that had no strength left to resist,” he said.
It has been 9 years since the center and villages of Sinjar in Mosul province of Iraq were completely liberated. ISIS targeted Sinjar on August 3, 2014. Iraqi forces responsible for the security of the city and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) security forces withdrew from the city without firing a single bullet against the attacks. ISIS massacred nearly 3,000 Yazidis and took thousands hostage, many of them women and children.
12 People’s Defence Forces (HPG-Hêzên Parastina Gel) fighters came to the rescue of tens of thousands of Yazidis who fled the ISIS attack and took refuge in Mount Sinjar. Under the command of Dilşêr Herekol from Sinjar, ISIS attacks were repelled. The rescued Yazidis crossed into Northern and Eastern Syria through the corridor opened by the HPG fighters.
On January 14, 2015, Yazidis declared the Sinjar People's Assembly. Defense units were established under the umbrella of the assembly. On October 31, 2015, a campaign was launched to liberate the villages west of Sinjar. With the support of international forces, the center and villages of Sinjar were completely liberated on November 13, 2015.
It has been 9 years since Sinjar completely liberated. During this period, the city faced frequent airstrikes by Turkey. Some commanders who were at the forefront of the fight against ISIS lost their lives in these attacks. But despite this, the work to build the city continued uninterruptedly. The city is now governed by communes and councils.
THE STRUGGLE OF 12 HPG MEMBERS
Bîro Berakat, a member of the Sinjar Autonomous Assembly, reminded that the forces that said “we will protect Sinjar” abandoned the city to its fate when ISIS attacks started.
Pointing to what happened during that period, Bîro Berakat said: “The Iraqi government reduced their number and withdrew their forces to Baghdad. When the attack on Sinjar was being planned, another force that said 'we will protect the Yazidis' was the KDP Peshmerga. But they failed to defend the Yazidis and threw them in front of savage gangs. The PKK attempted to enter here and wanted to send its forces to Mount Sinjar. But those who did not protect and defend Sinjar prevented the PKK from entering. They wanted the Yazidi community to disappear. However, 12 HPG fighters put up a great resistance and reached Mount Sinjar and protected the Yazidis.”
Bîro Berakat described the struggle of the HPG members as a “turning point”, “The pioneers of these 12 friends were Dilşêr and Memo. Thanks to the resistance led by them, our community was liberated from the gangs. Then a corridor was opened and Yazidis were relocated to safe places. Those who said 'we are your brothers, we are your friends' did not take care of this community. There are still dozens of Yazidis living in the camps and they continue their lives as prisoners,” he said.
CALL TO MIGRATING YAZIDIS
Stating that Sinjar started to be rebuilt with the Democratic Nation idea of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan in the following processes, “Leader Apo's students struggled and resisted here for months. They saw it as their duty to protect this society. They shielded themselves to protect this community. It was this sacrificial spirit, this sacrifice that gave birth to the Yazidi community from the ashes. Today, everyone in the Yazidi community sees themselves in the ideas of Mr. Abdullah Öcalan. After Sinjar liberated, those who did not protect Sinjar returned. Their purpose in returning was not to protect Sinjar, but to defame the PKK. Those who betrayed the Yazidi community will always carry this shame as a black stain,” Bîro Berakat said.
Stating that nearly 300 thousand Yazidis returned after the liberation of Sinjar, “These returns are pleasing. We are now living in Sinjar together with other faiths. If there is no intervention, people of all languages, religions and races can live together in Sinjar,” he said.
Bîro Berakat, who also wants the Yazidis who had to migrate to return to their lands, said the following: “Not a single Yazidi should be left outside anymore and we want them to return to their homes. We want them to leave the camps in Bashûr and return to their lands. We do not regret paying these prices and we will always fight to defend this community. Our society must always pursue its cause and not forget those days.”
MA / Zeynep Durgut