2026-06-15T17:20:36+00:00
Shafaq News- Duhok
Authorities in Duhok province, in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, have allowed residents of several border villages to return for daytime visits for the first time in nearly a decade, easing restrictions imposed during years of conflict between the Turkish military and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Derkar Mayor Jawhar Mohammed told Shafaq News that the decision covers between nine and 10 villages within the subdistrict, along with several villages in Batifa district. Residents will be permitted to visit daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time.
Before implementing the measure, local authorities coordinated with village representatives and informed residents of safety precautions, particularly the risks posed by landmines and unexploded ordnance in areas that had remained closed for a prolonged period.
Hashim Kashani, Mukhtar of Kashan village, noted that residents of 13 villages received permission to visit in 2026 after years of waiting, while several others remain off limits because of damage caused by shelling and armed clashes. Villages including Sili, Ek Male, and Nazur (نزور) are no longer suitable for habitation, with residents now visiting mainly to inspect their land and property.
The PKK, founded in 1978, maintains a significant presence in parts of northern Iraq and southeastern Turkiye. The group has been engaged in an armed conflict with the Turkish state since 1984, which has resulted in more than 40,000 deaths. Turkiye, the United States, and the European Union designate the group as a terrorist organization, while Iraq classifies it as a “banned organization.” Last year, the group’s imprisoned founder, Abdullah Ocalan, urged the PKK to convene a congress, lay down its arms, and formally disband.
Human rights organizations have reported that 145 villages in Duhok’s border areas have been evacuated since 2015 because of airstrikes and sustained military pressure linked to the conflict.
Read more: Duhok —haven and hardship in Iraqi Kurdistan’s frontier
Source: Shafaq News
