MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Colemerg - Many highlands and mountainous areas in Hakkari are declared as "Special Security Zones" and prohibited for civilians. The shepherds and women are most affected by these prohibitions. Some highlands have been prohibited for 20 years. The women living in the region told us that the “Special Security Zones” have been declared in the highlands and mountainous areas since the villages in the region were burned in the 1990s and that they cannot go to the lands of their ancestors even for collecting herbs.

Villages are not allowed to enter the region

Civilians are prohibited from entering the highlands declared as special security zones. While tourists are allowed to enter some highlands, the villagers are not allowed. The women living in the Pirbela village of Hakkari’s Yüksekova (Kurdish: Gever) district told us that they have not been allowed to enter both their village and highlands since their village was burned in 1994.

“Our houses were burned”

Zahide Özdemir is one of the women from the village. They were allowed to return to their village after 13 years. Stating that they returned to their village after 13 years and rebuilt their houses, she said that they have not been allowed to go to highlands since their village was burned in 1994. “Our village was burned in 1994. One year later, we had to leave our village because we could not go outside at night. One day, soldiers came and told us that we had to leave our village. We left our village and settled in another village. We lived in this village for 13 years. Then, we were allowed to enter our village.

“We cannot go to highlands even for collecting herbs”

Stating that they face many difficulties due to prohibitions, Zahide Özdemir noted that every person has the right to live in their lands freely. “Now our highlands and mountains are prohibited from entering. We cannot go to mountains and highlands. We have to go to other villages to graze our animals. We cannot go to highlands in spring even for collecting herbs. We want to be free in our homeland,” she told NuJINHA.

“We go to other highlands by vehicles”

Fatma Dönmez is another woman reacting to the prohibitions. She told us, “The prohibitions affect us both financially and morally. We are not allowed to go to our highlands. We have to go to other villages to graze our animals by using vehicles. We make money from milk but we have to spend the money to rent vehicles.”