Turkish foreign minister congratulates new Ezidi emir

By Gozde Bayar

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Saturday congratulated the newly-elected Emir of Ezidi.

“Congratulations to Hazim Tahseen Beg for his election as the Yezidi Mir. #Turkey will continue to stand in solidarity with Ezidis against all threats targeting them, including the terrorist acts of PKK,” Cavusoglu said in a Twitter post.

Hazim Tahseen Beg, the son of Mir Tahseen Said, elected new Ezidi emir after his father passed away.

Mir Tahseen, the former Ezidi emir, died at a German hospital in January. He became the Emir of the Ezidis in 1944.

The Ezidi people are a religious group, most of whom live in northern Iraq, while smaller groups live in Turkey, Syria, Iran, Georgia and Armenia.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar