By Diyar Guldogan
ANKARA
Ezidis who fled from Iraq due to threat of the militant group, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, have expressed their gratitude to Turkey for taking them in.
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant militants have reportedly killed hundreds of Ezidis in Iraq since June, according to statements from Iraqi officials.
"We are pleased with Turkey and its people, who have opened their arms to us," said the head of the Ezidi delegation Sheikh Houssein Al-Ezidi to The Anadolu Agency in Ankara after meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkey is believed to have accommodated some 30,000 Ezidis in a number of refugee camps in its southeastern provinces.
"Turkey has always stood by the oppressed, mistreated and those who need help and will continue to do so. We are attempting to quell suffering in our region, which has seen many grievous incidents, without discriminating between any religion, language, color and sect," said Erdogan who received the Ezidi delegation on Friday.
Al-Ezidi also said they would not return to Iraq, since they believe the chaos in the country will eradicate Ezidis.
Violence instigated by ISIL militants has claimed the lives of more than 1,400 people in August alone, and caused 1.2 million Iraqis -- including Turkmen, Arabs, Christians and Ezidis -- to flee their homes.
The U.S. is leading an international coalition, which includes France, Germany, and Saudi Arabia, among others, and has carried out numerous airstrikes against ISIL in Iraq and Syria, where the militants control large swathes of territory.
www.aa.com.tr/en
