Farmers return to Hakkari mountains in peace amid ‘terror-free Türkiye’ initiative

HAKKARİ

Deep in the mountains of Türkiye’s eastern province of Hakkari, livestock owners and farmers have gradually returned with their animals amid the ongoing "terror-free Türkiye" initiative, following PKK’s decision to dissolve and disband.

"We've been coming here for a long time. Thirty years ago, we used to come and go, but then we couldn't come. Now we just started to come again and to bring our animals as we want," 57-year-old Selahattin İrinç, told the Agence France-Presse, speaking Kurdish, while gently pressing his hand on a sheep's neck to keep it from moving during shearing.

The PKK terrorist organization began laying down its weapons in a symbolic ceremony on July 11 in northern Iraq, the first concrete step toward a promised disarmament, as part of the government's "terror-free Türkiye" initiative.

PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States and the European Union.

Alongside several other men and women, İrinç practices animal husbandry in the grassy highlands at the foot of the Cilo Mountains and its Resko peak, which stands as the second-highest in the country with an altitude of 4,137 meters (13,572 feet).

A place of scenic beauty, with waterfalls, glacial lakes and trekking routes, Cilo has gradually opened its roads over the past few years to shepherds and tourists alike.

Although the “terror-free Türkiye” process brought more openness and ease to the region, tensions did not vanish overnight.

Checkpoints remain present around the city of Hakkari, and also to the main access point to the trekking path leading to Cilo glacier, a major tourist attraction.

"Life is quite good, and it's very beautiful here. Tourists come and stay in the mountains for one or two days with their tents, food, water and so on," said farmer Mahir İrinç.

But the mountains are a hard, demanding environment for those making a living in their imposing shadow, and the 37-year-old thinks his generation might be the last to do animal husbandry far away from the city.

"I don't think a new generation will come after us. We will be happy if it does, but the young people nowadays don't want to raise animals; they just do whatever job is easier," he lamented.

An open truck carrying more than a dozen Kurdish women made its way to another farm in the heart of the mountains, where sheep waited to be fed and milked.

The livestock graze at the foot of the mountains for three to four months, while the weather is warm, before being brought back to the village.

Recently, the Turkish government has unveiled an ambitious tourism plan as part of its “terror-free Türkiye” vision, aiming to transform the city’s Cilo Mountains into a hub for winter sports, nature activities and cultural festivals.

As part of such efforts, plans for two new tourism zones covering the Cilo, Kamışlı and Yüksekova areas have been proposed.

Cultural initiatives will also play a major role in the region’s transformation, as the State Opera and Ballet has added Hakkari to its annual opera and ballet festival, with plans to stage performances and discover young local talent.