H.E. Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki Moon,
As you know, ISIS occupation in Syria and Iraq has caused unforgettable tragedies in the Middle East. Millions of civilians from Syria and Iraq are under the threat of massacre by ISIS terrorists. Many religious communities have been targeted, including Christians, Assyrians, Ezidis, Shia Muslims and Nusayri groups. Thousands of women have been raped and killed in the last few weeks.
According to local sources, more than 40,000 people — Shia Turkmen and Ezidi Kurds — have fled Shengal town (Sinjar) outside Mosul for Shengal Moutain, where they have gone without water and food for several days. Some Kurdish fighters from Syrian Kurdistan (YPG) arrived to the mountain and provided for the population’s security. But the ISIS siege has been continuing around the Shengal Mountain. Due to thirst, hundreds of children, women and the old people have died, and the number of deaths from thirst is increasing by the day.
On the other hand, mass executions by ISIS are causing deep shocks among the peoples in the occupied areas. It is very clear that ISIS must be annihilated. All of its direct and indirect supporters must be punished. According to ISIS’s statements, the organization consists of thousands of militants from Europe, North Africa, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and beyond. It is very clear that ISIS has a potential to carry out terrorist attacks in many countries. Therefore, It is urgent that all the support channels and facilities of ISIS have to be terminated. Otherwise, ISIS will be remain a nightmare for humanity. All parts of the world will be affected due to their deviant ideology, not only the Middle East.
We, as Peoples’ Democratic Party who represents plurality and supports fundamental rights of the peoples of Turkey and the broader Middle East, urgently call on you to take the initiative to prevent ISIS attacks and dismantle their international structure. We believe that international support for the joint front against ISIS in Syria and Iraq will provide superiority to the free peoples and their armed forces.
Dear Secretary Moon, we ask you to take urgent and necessary steps to mobilize international actors to prevent ISIS activities in every part of the world. We hope that your intervention against the ISIS threat will be an opportunity for sustainable stability in the Middle East.
Best regards
Figen Yüksekdağ & Selahattin Demirtaş
HDP Co-Chairs
August 8, 2014