NEWS CENTER - Stating that Turkey has established around 40 military bases around Mosul, Journalist Argeş Şengalî said: "Turkey is trying to smother Shengal, tear it apart from other places and leave Shengal alone and helpless. Why isn't the Iraqi government build walls at places where its territory is violated?"

 

After the "Shengal Agreement" signed between Hewlêr and Baghdad under pressure from Turkey and the United States of America (USA), attacks on Shengal, the holy place of Yazidis, began. Shengal, which was constantly targeted by Turkey's air strikes, was besieged by the Iraqi army after the signing of the agreement. The Iraqi army, which attempted to enter Shengal many times, tried to enter Duhol one day after the AKP and KDP's attacks on the Federated Kurdistan Region. The Iraqi army, which was repelled by the people, started its attacks on May 2. After days of fighting, the Iraqi army had to retreat in the face of popular resistance. However, the Iraqi army continues to threaten Shengal with its presence in the region.

 

THE PURPOSE OF THE 'SHENGAL AGREEMENT'

 

Argeş Şengalî, who works as a journalist in the region, evaluated the attacks against Shengal. Şengalî stated that the “Shengal Agreement” was an attack on the gains of the Yazidis and said: “One of these gains is the Autonomous Administration. Autonomous Administration can change the system of capitalist and authoritarian states, especially  of Iraq and Turkey. Why is Iraq occupying Shengal today? Because Shengal established a democratic autonomous system and Yazidis want to make some changes with this system. These changes are not against the Iraqi government, and any changes will be with the Iraqi government's approval. But they don't want it. KDP committed treason and handed Shengal over to ISIS, and the fate of hundreds of women and children is still unknown. In that case, how should the Yazidis accept this agreement? The clauses in the agreement want Shengal to go back to before 2014. They wanted to complete and repeat the ISIS massacre. Yazidis are against it. Yazidis stood up against it from day one. The Yazidis will not accept an agreement regarding Shengal that is not the will of the Yazidis."

 

ATTACK AGAINST LIFE CORRIDOR

 

Noting that the Iraqi army first attacked Duhol, in which a life corridor was opened during the ISIS attacks in 2014 to evacuate people, Şengalî said, “Hundreds of Yazidis were rescued in that corridor. The Iraqi government deliberately attacked Duhol. They also had power in places like Zorava and Guhbel.”

 

THREATS OF THE IRAQI ARMY CONTINUE

 

Expressing that the Iraqi army has withdrawn but the threats continue, Şengalî said, “Iraqi Army is still at the villages and towns with its tanks and artillery. It deployed a large number of tanks and artillery, especially in Sikini. Against whom did they deployed these tanks and artillery? The Iraqi state had 13 thousand soldiers and 12 thousand peshmerga here. But they all fled without firing a single bullet and handed this place over to ISIS gangs without resistance. These forces were created from the resistance of the people, but now they want to eliminate the forces of Shengal. They want to return the Yazidis to Shengal before 2014."

 

TURKEY ADVANCED INTO MOSUL

 

Şengalî stated that war was declared with the construction of a wall between Northern and Eastern Syria and Shengal and said, "In 2014, Rojava opened its gates to Shengal and gave a breath of fresh air to the Yazidis. Rojava saved the people of Shengal during the ISIS attacks. They put a wall there so the people of Shengal will be trapped. There was no border established anywhere in Iraq except Shengal. The Turkish state advanced more than 60 kilometers into Southern Kurdistan. It reached Bashiqa and Mosul. They established more than 40 military bases. Why does the Iraqi government not building a wall where its lands are violated?"