The Plight of the Yazidis in Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran

The Middle East is under Turmoil

President Trump’s abrupt decision to withdraw American troops from northern Syria sends a powerful message in a dramatic shift to realign its foreign policy in the region. Current international coalitions in the region are reassessing their objectives. The future remains unclear.

Turkey will take over the fight to remove ISIS but also include containment of militias protecting the Kurds along with minority religious factions.

The Yazidis are stuck in the middle of conflicts in Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran.

US Withdrawal exposes YPG to Turkey, an ally protecting Kurds, Yazidis and Chaldean Catholics

Unconfirmed Reports but Plenty of Hope

There are unconfirmed reports from various sources that Turkey will take over the territory held by Kurdish militias and be allowed to leave. There are other unconfirmed reports that they may obtain favorable terms under conditions that benefit the entire region.

[An opinion and pure conjecture.] Whatever the outcome, Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said last week that Turkey would cooperate with the planned withdrawal of US forces from the area. An unforeseen strategy, President Erdoğan is ignoring the international coalition but listening to President Trump. This may give President Trump the leverage he needs to demand safety for the Kurdish militias to protect religious minorities in the region.

Read more: Surviving Islamic State: The Plight Of The Yazidi Community

Donald and Melania Trump visit US troops in Iraq

Update: 26DEC2018. President Trump said the US could use Iraq as a forward base if “we wanted to do something in Syria,” Reuters news agency reports. BBC News.

Read more: Iraq Yazidis: The ‘forgotten’ people of an unforgettable story