A Human Tragedy in the 21st Century  Yazidi Refugee Camps in Turkey, 2014 - 2015

Nobody wants to be a refugee. This is a way of life that others imposed on them. Yazidis living in refugee camps who escaped from northern Iraq are a part of this tragedy today. To visit them in the camps which they live in Southern Turkey and listen to their stories was my Project. My work began on 2014 December 04 in the Besiri Refugee Camp and completed on 2017 April 22 at Besiri Refugee Camp Again. I visited Batman, Diyarbakir, Besiri, Sirnak, Nusaybin, Midyat Refugee Camps in this period. I lived in tents in the camps which have given to me I have eaten the same food with them. It was important to be close to them and listen to their stories. The total number of refugees living in these camps was around 14000 people. I have traveled a total of 8,000 km in three separate trips. My project has to be read under the scope of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Liberty and security of the people living in the camps today have been damaged in their countries (Article 3) They have experienced torture and inhuman treatments (Article 5) Therefore they use refuge and asylum rights in other countries. (Article 14/1)

Yazidis are a mostly-Kurdish speaking ethnic population. Their belief system has roots in ancient Mesopotamian religions and Zoroastrianism. They have a hierarchical social structure made up of three castes: the sheiks, the murids, and the pir. Marriage between the castes is not permitted. Marriage outside of the faith is grounds for "excommunication". This is a society that beliefs in the infinity of the world and nature. They believe that God, who created the world, would never destroy it. They pray three times a day, facing the sun. Wednesday is the day of rest. They believe that the first man was created on a Wednesday. Today, there are an estimated 800 000 Yazidis in the world. 650 000 of the entire population lives in Northern Iraq. They are experiencing what they consider to be their 74.genocide. This is because they have a different belief system. They have been subjected to violence and genocide at all ages because they did not want to renounce their faith. They were forced to flee their homes after fighters for the Islamist group invaded their territory. Many took refuge on Mount Shingal. Mount Shingal is considered holy ground. Later they were passed through a secure corridor created by fighters and brought to the Turkish-Iraqi border. This secure corridor saved 30.000 Yazidis from certain death. Their basic needs are met at the camp, but their future remains uncertain. Funding for camps where Yazidis are accommodated comes from local municipalities. Their budgets are limited. Any donations are sent to people in need through a central coordination center. The donations have to keep on coming. Children at the camps continue to receive an education thanks to the efforts of volunteer teachers, defiant in the ugly face of war. Two types of schools have been organized: Pre-school and primary education. Nusaybin and Midyat refugee Camps have belonged to the Turkish Government. The needs of refugees are met more regularly according to municipality camps. I interviewed quite a lot of people. I asked them about their lives at the camp, about how they came to be there, and what their expectations were from the future. What they all have in common is their unwillingness to return home. They don't want to be reminded of what they have been through there. All they want is to live and practice their faith peacefully in a free and democratic country that will have them. People tell you a lot of stories during live interviews. However, what struck me the most was the words of 17-year-old highschool junior Halime: "I studied for 10 years. Look where I am now." A sea of shattered dreams, a future full of uncertainty, and a wait full of hope.