Following the KDP attack on Khanasor town of Shengal on March 3rd, KDP forces are pursuing policies and agencification activities on local Êzidîs against the PKK. Necip Bapir İlyas from Khanasor spoke to ANF denouncing such activities by the KDP.

İlyas told the followings as to what he has suffered in the hands of KDP forces: "As I headed to Sinune on April 5th, KDP asayish detained me and took me to Kasım Şeşo (Shengal Peshmerga Forces Commander). Kasım Şeşo slapped me in the face three times and told me 'You will go to Khanasor, sever at least 3-4 people from the PKK every day and bring them to us. You will also take your wife and son out from the PKK and bring them from Khanasor to Sherefedin. I will give you a house and you will work with us here. I will pay you, your wife and son a salary'.

When I told him that I would not do so, the asayish members near him handcuffed me from behind and started to hit me. They later forced me to swear at the PKK. When I refused this as well, asayish took me away and said they would arrest me for one year. The asayish members later took me back to Kasım Şeşo who told them 'Don't take him to Duhok, I want to listen to him again'.

Kasım Şeşo slapped me in the face once more, saying 'Either you will say that PKK is kidnapping your children just like ISIS, or I will let them arrest you'. I did what they said for fear. If I hadn't, they would have taken me to Duhok and I would never see my home or Khanasor once again. They also recorded my statement and words there."

"THEY THREATENED ME WITH PUBLISHING MY VIDEO"

İlyas continued, telling the followings; "If you do not sever your son and wife from PKK, and if you don't come and join us, we will share your video on Facebook. For fear of death, I told them 'Okay, do not share my video, I will do what you tell. I will go to Khanasor and then move my family to Sherefedin'. They told me that they would share this video on every platform if I didn't come. I said I agreed with them, just in order to run away from them."

"KDP ATTACKS THE ÊZİDÎ PEOPLE JUST LIKE ISIS"

İlyas stressed that PKK was the only force protecting the Êzidîs, telling the following:

"Who other than PKK helped us? PKK saved us from ISIS at the time of the genocide. They carried our elderly on their shoulders and saved them from ISIS. It was the PKK to bring food and water to our children and people under those challenging circumstances.

On the other hand, KDP peshmergas run like hell and left us into the hands of ISIS. Now, they are detaining some people from among us on daily basis, and threaten them to swear at the PKK and move our houses to near them. This is my home, Khanasor is the land of our ancestors. I will not go anywhere else. If I am to die, I will die here. I will not leave home whatever the consequences. I do not want Duhok or Zakho. If I need anything, I will meet my needs here or go to Rojava to do it. They are detaining people from among us and they do not differ from the ISIS with what they are doing now. It is a crime to force the people to join them by use of violence and threats. Why don't they let people live as they wish? KDP is no different than ISIS anymore."

Those hearing our voice should know that there is one single reality about the KDP, which is that it sold us out to ISIS. On March 3rd, the gangs of KDP attacked and killed us. They murdered the children of Êzidîs. KDP itself is ISIS. Our Êzidî people should refuse to join the KDP gangs, and not be deceived by the KDP's promises to 'pay them 700 thousand a month'.

CALL TO THE ÊZIDÎS IN KDP

Necip Bapir İlyas continued with the following call to the Êzidîs in the KDP;

"Take your place by your own people. There are 12 thousand peshmergas affiliated to Shengal at the moment but none of them are official. Each one of these peshmergas hardly receive 300 dollars once in three months. Those that joined the KDP should turn back to their sacred land, Khanasor, in the soonest time, and live for themselves and their people with honour, which is far better than leaning on the KDP.

While on my way back from Sherefedin on April 5, I saw that those who had burned our mothers and elderly people alive in tendours during the genocide, who are from the Tata tribe in Gire Zirka village, have now gotten into the asayish forces between Sinune and Khanasor. I call on our people who are living in camps in Zakho and Duhok to turn back to their sacred land, which is their honour and the safest place for them.

KDP people are speaking wrongly against the PKK. One of these people is the KDP commander Kasım Dırbao whose brother's name is mentioned in Khanasor and who took part in Shengal social services for months."