PUK Official: PUK Peshmerga & Media Were Key in Defending the Yezidis

PUKMEDIA

Latif Nerwayi, Head of the PUK Media Board.

Recalling the Yazidi genocide, Latif Nerwayi, member of the Leadership Council and Head of the Media Board of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), has reaffirmed the PUK’s longstanding commitment to supporting the Yezidi people, both on the battlefield and in the media.

Speaking in an interview with GK TV, Nerwayi noted: “The genocide and oppression faced by the Yezidis is not new. Unfortunately, it is a recurring tragedy. The PUK’s media, in parallel with the bravery of our Peshmerga forces, played a responsible and national role in conveying the suppressed voice and suffering of the Yezidis to the international community.”

Marking the eleventh anniversary of the Yezidi genocide, Nerwayi criticised the internal political fragmentation within the Yezidi community, saying: “The division of the Yezidis into conflicting political groups has hindered the advancement of their legitimate cause and prolonged their suffering. These internal disputes have ultimately harmed Sinjar and its victims.”

He went on to recall the heroic role played by the PUK Peshmerga during the initial stages of the ISIS assault, highlighting that many fighters were martyred while defending and rescuing the people of Sinjar.

“The PUK stood at the forefront of the defence of Sinjar, and our media institutions worked diligently to raise global awareness of the atrocities and the plight of the Yezidis,” Nerwayi said.

He concluded by stressing the PUK’s enduring commitment: “Just as the PUK led in defending Shingal during the height of the crisis, it also has the capacity to restore stability and rebuild the region in the post-ISIS phase. This principle has been consistently reaffirmed by President Bafel Jalal Talabani and the PUK Political Bureau.”

ISIS terrorist organisation seized vast parts of northern and western Iraq in June 2014. Two months later, on 3 August 2014, the organisation launched a genocide against the Yazidi community in the Shingal (Sinjar) district, which is heart of the Yazidi land. They kidnapped 6,417 Yazidi women and children. Many people were subjected to sexual slavery and forced labour. More than 5,000 people were killed.

As the Yazidi population fled toward Mount Shingal to escape the ISIS onslaught, Peshmerga fighters from the PUK remained to protect them. These PUK units established defensive positions around the mountain, preventing further ISIS advances and facilitating rescue operations. Despite limited resources and overwhelming odds, 111 PUK Peshmergas lost their lives in the effort to safeguard the Yazidis.



PUKMEDIA