Following the attacks of the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) on Sinjar and Makhmour in Iraqi Kurdistan and Derik in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, a delegation of 4 MPs from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) visited Sinjar yesterday, 9 February, ROJNews reported.

In addition to the Yazidi MP Feleknas Uca, the delegation also included HDP Izmir MP Murat Çepni, HDP Istanbul MP Hüda Kaya and HDP Sirnak MP Hasan Özgüneş and was welcomed by the Autonomous Administration of Sinjar.

The HDP delegation visited the Yazidi leaders and also many institutions in Sinjar established by locals, giving a strong message of solidarity with the people of Sinjar.

Yazidi MP, Feleknas Uca spoke on behalf of the delegation. Uca recalled the siege of Sinjar by ISIS in 2014.

“As you also know that as HDP, and as the peoples of North Kurdistan, we welcomed and hosted over 33.000 Yazidi refugees after the attacks of 3 August 2014. We, Northern Kurdistani people, tried our best and hosted them as best we could. We have been forging a new life together with those families who still live in North Kurdistan. And today life is continuing in Sinjar too in spite of the ISIS genocide.”

Uca continued:

” Since 2017 to this date, the Turkish State has consantly been attacking Sinjar. They have been either attacking the hospitals, or killing leading representatives of Yazidi society. Recently, the Turkish State attacked and bombed 21 targets on 1st and 2nd of February. I would name this attack a new genocide, a new ferman, for Yazidi people. Their aim is to disperse the Yazidi society. Therefore we as HDP have been continuing our works and efforts to save Sinjar and the Yazidi people, also recognizing their governing assembly. Our all organizations in North Kurdistan, the women’s movement, People’s Democratic Congress (HDK), the youth assemblies, we are all in solicarity with the people of Sinjar. Our delegation is here on behalf of Northern Kurdistani people, their organisations, and with their will. We would like to give this message that we will never remain silent against these attacks, the people of Sinjar are not alone.”

She criticised the Iraqi Kurdistan officials for remining silent in the face of the attacks.

“The government of South Kurdistan is silent against the attacks. We call on all parties and people of South Kurdistan, if you say that Sinjar is the honor of Kurdistan, please, there is an attack on the honor of Kurdistan today, come and take care of Sinjar. ”

Rîham Hesen, the Co-Chair of Sinjar Autonomus Administration also spoke during the meeting with the HDP delegation.

“At a time when the Turkish state is attacking us, our leaders are being targeted, and as well as during the time of Nechirvan Barzani’s visit to Turkey, this great visit of HDP took place. This is an important message to everyone. We are declaring here that no matter how many attacks are carried out against us, the Turkish State will not be able to destroy the unity of our people in the North, Makhmour, Rojava and Sinjar, which is organised under the ideas of our Leader Apo.”