ERBIL-Hewler, Kurdistan region ‘Iraq’,— The Kurdistan Regional Government Council of Ministers issued a statement condemning the attempts to establish an illegal administrative council in Sinjar, stressing that, “The tragedies of Sinjar and the surrounding areas should not be dealt with in a partisan way, which, instead of healing the sufferings these areas have endured, would lead to political and administrative chaos.”

Following is the text of the statement:

The area of Sinjar has been going through tragic conditions since it was taken by the Islamic State terrorist organisation, known as ISIS, on 3 August 2014. The people of Kurdistan view the mass killing of Yezidi Kurds and abduction of the Yezidi Kurdish women in this area by ISIS, as a new painful tragedy for Kurdistan.

Due to these deep sufferings, the President of the Kurdistan Region and General Commander of the Peshmerga Forces, Massoud Barzani, has personally supervised and overseen the plans and operations of the Peshmerga forces against ISIS in this area.

The Kurdistan Regional Government is exerting great deal of efforts in these difficult circumstances to rescue and provide assistance to the people of the region, in addition to attempts to free the Yezidi Kurdish women, a number of whom are still abducted by ISIS. Also, the Kurdistan Regional Government continues its efforts, through a special committee, to obtain international recognition of the crimes committed against the Yezidi Kurds as genocide.

While the KRG Council of Ministers expresses its gratitude to the [Syrian Kurdish] People’s Protection Units, [YPG], for having helped the Peshmerga forces during ISIS attacks, to rescue the displaced Yezidi Kurds in the area of Sinjar, we consider the move on 14 January by the Kurdistan Workers Party, PKK, to create an administrative council to run Sinjar area, as an illegal act, which goes against the constitution and laws that are in force in Iraq and Kurdistan Region.

The PKK should stay away from interfering in the affairs of the Kurdistan Region; such interference is unacceptable. The agony of this wounded area should not be exploited for partisan purposes, as it is an illegal act and would lead to political and administrative chaos.

The Kurdistan Region and Iraq have constitutional and legal institutions. The Yezidi Kurds and Sinjar area are represented in Kurdistan Parliament and Iraqi Council of Representatives as well as in Nineveh Provincial Council. Any measure that is to be taken now or in future for this region would be through legal institutions in Kurdistan and Iraq and not through illegal means and unacceptable interferences.

The KRG Council of Ministers tries to help all the parts of Kurdistan, as well as Sinjar and other areas of Iraqi Kurdistan with the view to improving relations and not creating divisions and tensions. Therefore, we ask the PKK to immediately stop its illegal attempts in Iraqi Kurdistan.

We would like to reaffirm the statements made by the Yezidi Kurdish dignitaries and their religious leaders and other Yezidi Kurdish figures that this interference will lead to deterioration of the situation in Sinjar and those who would be effected most are the people of Kurdistan in general and Sinjar and surrounding areas in particular. Therefore, such moves should be stopped.

The Peshmerga forces are in the process of attempting to regain complete control on the entire area of Sinjar. The KRG will continue its efforts to help and reconstruct this beloved area. The KRG will achieve this objective in concert with the Federal Government of Iraq.

The KRG Council of Ministers is currently examining the proposal, urging the creation of Sinjar governorate. This will be discussed with the Iraqi Federal Government according to legal and constitutional basis. Ninewa Provincial Council will be informed of the progress of the discussions.

KRG – Council of Ministers

17 January 2015

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