Shingal — Rising tensions in the district of Shingal have followed statements by the Turkish foreign minister and Iraqi army moves to collect weapons in the area, triggering fears among the Yazidis, who warned that leaving the community without protection would open the door to a new catastrophe.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, speaking during a television programme on 9 February, said that the presence of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Iraq — particularly in Shingal — constitutes a “security problem” for Turkey. He noted that the issue also concerns Iraq’s security and sovereignty, adding that changes may soon occur along the Shingal–Makhmour–Qandil line and that cooperation between Ankara and Baghdad is necessary to address this file.

These statements, together with Iraqi army movements to collect weapons in Shingal, have sparked widespread concern among the Yazidis over the possibility of new attacks. The Yazidi community — especially women — expressed their rejection of these plans, which they see as a direct threat to their existence.

In this context, members of the Yazidi Women’s Freedom Movement (TAJÊ), Nafiya Shingali and Nazlin Ido, said: “These attempts to leave our community without protection mean preparing the ground for a new massacre.”

 

“A dangerous plan is being imposed on Shingal”

Nafiya Shingali, co-chair of the People’s Council in Khanasor and a member of TAJÊ, stated that a dangerous plan is being implemented in the vicinity of Shingal and across Nineveh.

She added:
“In 2014, before the 3 August massacre, Iraqi forces were moving through Shingal saying they would collect weapons from civilians. Shortly afterwards, ISIS attacked and carried out the massacre. The Iraqi army and the Peshmerga, who were responsible for protecting the area, withdrew without resistance and left our people to their fate. We will never forget this abandonment.”

She continued:
“Today there are no weapons within the community to be collected. We have our own forces: the Shingal Resistance Units (YBŞ), the Women’s Protection Units (YJŞ), and the Ezidkhan Asayish. These are our forces and they are the ones who protect us. What is happening today brings back the memories of those dark days.”

 

“Attempts paving the way for new massacres”

Shingali stressed the need to unite the community and its self-defence forces:

“Our people must remain vigilant against the danger of new attacks and must not repeat the mistakes of 2014. Had we been organised then, we could have prevented the massacre. Today we see attempts to repeat the same scenario. Leaving the community without protection means preparing for a new massacre.”

She added:
“Any force that puts pressure on Shingal will be considered a partner of ISIS unless it proves otherwise. Our people must not once again be left at the mercy of fear and threats.”

 

“We will not accept the deployment of the army inside our villages”

She believes that reliance on external forces has always led to disastrous results:

“We stress the necessity of relying on our own Yazidi forces. Our defence forces must unite, and the people will stand behind them until the end. We reject the return of the army to our villages. Under Saddam, military bases were established inside residential areas, and this brought devastation to our people. We will not allow this to happen again. Tomorrow a woman may no longer be able to leave her home freely.”

 

“We have great confidence in our people”

For her part, Nazlin Ido, a member of the Yazidi women’s movement, said that the Yazidi people must protect their land:

“Our people must stand against the new plans being devised for Shingal and must not hand over their weapons to any party. We have been betrayed before, so we must remain vigilant. In 2014 our people did not surrender their weapons, and thanks to that many survived. Today we are stronger and more organised.”

She added:
“I hope our people will protect their land, their mountains, and everything they possess. We have great confidence in our people and believe that this time they will not allow another massacre to happen.”