Yazidi (Êzidî) Journalist Eyüp Burç declares that the “Sinjar deal” between Baghdad and Hewlêr, which was signed on 9 October, was “to send a message to the Kurds. The operation against Serêkaniyê and Girê Spî started on the same date last year and led to new massacres”.
The agreement between the Iraqi central government and the Kurdistan Regional Government is regarding Sinjar (which locals refer to as Shingal), where the Yazidis live and aim to establish a new force in the northwestern region, which is still recovering from the Islamic State (ISIS) attacks of 2014.
US State Department officials held a press conference in Washington on 19 August on the results of the US-Iraq strategic talks. The US Middle East Deputy Minister Joey Hood announced that it was possible to work together with the support of the Kurdistan Regional Government and Turkey, as well as other coalition countries.
Journalist Eyüp Burç spoke to the Mesopotamia Agency and warned that the agreement would cause the Kurdish people to suffer and lead to new massacres.
Burç said that nation states pay attention to dates when making decisions. “On 9 October the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan was expelled from Syria. An operation was carried out against Girê Spî and Serêkaniyê on 9 October 2019. Now, we see that the agreement on Sinjar coincides with the same date. It is no coincidence that these dates are chosen. 9 October evokes bad memories for the Kurds. This decision is given as a message to the Kurds”, Burç said.
”The agreement with the US and Turkey needs to be understood as a compromise. The US wants to remove the Hashd al-Shaabi forces from the region. Hashd al-Shaabi seized the Rabia Gate in October 2017. Rabia Gate is one of the important gates of northern and eastern Syria. This is an area that Iran is using strategically and the US is uncomfortable with it”, Burç said.
Underlining that Sinjar is a part of Rojava, Burç said, “Sinjar is a strategic point and Turkey is uncomfortable with Sinjar’s status. The two forces are not looking at the same point. The Yazidi and Kurds’ self-governance is not something that will cause problems for the US. The US approaches this issue through the Hashd al-Shaabi. However, Turkey is uneasy over the presence of the PKK. As these two sides come together, they definitely get along”.
Burç emphasised that this deal is not in the interest of Sinjar. All ethnic groups in the city reject it and it should be rectified. Burç said, “The KDP has political, military and economic cooperation with Turkey. Turkey, unfortunately, does not work for the benefit of the KDP and Kurdish interests. The KDP’s relations with Turkey must be abandoned at once”, he said.
Burç said that excluding residents of Sinjar and disregarding the city’s will was “unacceptable” and that they rejected any decision without their involvement. ”Sinjar has its own rulers, parties, and councils. The Yazidi population should come together in a conference and discuss what kind of future will be established. The Iraqi central government must respect this. The demand of Yazidis to govern themselves is a fundamental right”, he said.
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