Residents of 21 Villages in Zakho Prevented From Returning Home by Turkish Forces, Rights Monitor Says

Peregraf — Residents of 21 villages in the Zakho area of Iraq's Kurdistan Region were prevented from returning to their homes by Turkish forces on Sunday, according to a local human rights monitor, despite earlier notifications from local authorities that they would be allowed to visit their villages.

Kamaran Osman, a field researcher with Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT) in Iraqi Kurdistan, said residents from villages in the Sindi and Guli areas attempted to return to their homes after local administrations in the Darkar sub-district and Batifa district informed them they could visit the area on June 15.

The villages have been largely abandoned since Turkish military operations in the region displaced residents approximately six years ago.

According to Osman, villagers from Snat, Era, Haftanin, Dereshishe, Mergeshishe, Ava Gize, Bajwa, as well as several villages in the Gali Psagha area and other nearby communities, traveled toward their villages early Sunday morning. 

However, when they reached the village of Sharanishi Saru, they encountered a Turkish military checkpoint. 

"Under no circumstances can you return to your villages," Turkish soldiers told the residents, according to CPT. "The villages are under our control and no one can return to them."

The account could not be independently verified, and Turkish authorities had not publicly commented on the claims at the time of publication. 

The affected villages lie within an area that has witnessed repeated Turkish military operations targeting fighters of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Ankara, the United States, and the European Union designate as a terrorist organization.

In June 2020, Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Tiger, a cross-border ground operation that expanded Turkish military presence in parts of Duhok province, including the Haftanin region and surrounding areas near the Iraqi-Turkish border.

According to CPT and local officials, the operation resulted in the displacement of numerous rural communities and left large areas inaccessible to civilians.

The incident comes despite growing expectations among some displaced residents that recent political developments — including ongoing discussions surrounding a peace process in Türkiye following the PKK's declared ceasefire and announced dissolution in 2025 — could eventually facilitate their return.

Community Peacemaker Teams estimates that more than 1,100 villages across the Kurdistan Region have been affected by decades of conflict involving Turkish military operations and clashes with the PKK.

Many displaced families continue to live away from their homes, with access to agricultural land, livestock, and livelihoods severely restricted.

For residents of the affected villages, Sunday's attempt represented a rare opportunity to revisit homes they have not been able to access for years. According to CPT, those hopes were dashed when they were turned back at the checkpoint.

No timeline has been announced for when, or whether, residents will be allowed to return permanently to the affected villages.