What is now called the disputed area is the Nineveh plain and the Sinjar region. In both areas, more than 85% to 90% of the population are Yazidis and Christians, and they have lived together like brothers and sisters for thousands of years. In fact, they have saved each other, to the extent that they could save one another. The Yazidis in the past, during the Ottoman Empire, they saved more than 20,000 Armenians. The Ottomans sent a letter to the Yazidi leader, who at that time was Hamo Sharro. The Ottomans said if the Yazidis would hand over Armenian Christians, they would not be attacked but if they didn't hand them over, the Ottomans would commit an attack against the Yazidis. The Yazidis tore up the letter and said, “Commit whatever you want to commit. We are brothers and sisters and we are not going to hand them over to you.” Then the Ottomans came from Istanbul and attacked the Sinjar region.
As for the autonomous region, according to the Iraqi constitution, Iraq is now a federal country. The Yazidis and Christians wish to get help and support from the west to create an autonomous zone, so that when they have their own separate administration, they will be able to defend themselves within Iraq.