Without PKK permission slips, we can’t visit our fields: Farmers in Duhok

Farmers near the city of Akre in the province of Duhok revealed they cannot visit their fields without the permission of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters in the area.
kurdistan24.net

DUHOK, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Farmers near the city of Akre in the province of Duhok revealed they cannot visit their fields without the permission of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters in the area.

Nahla is one of the regions in Duhok where residents complain about the presence of PKK forces, saying they obstruct farmers from visiting and tending to their farmlands and fields.

“Our livelihoods greatly depend on our pastures, agricultural lands, and the harvest of Sumac,” Jahwar Abdulkhaliq, one of the local farmers told Kurdistan 24 on Tuesday.

He mentioned the tremendous effort he has put into growing his field over the past years, and how the presence of the group adversely affects him.

“If I don’t get a permission slip from the PKK, they won’t let me revisit my field.”

Abdulkhaliq called on the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to solve the issue or at least reach an agreement with the PKK in the area.

Mohammed Saeed, another farmer in the area, urged the KRG to resolve the problem before local producers lose their crops.

“It is our village and land,” he said. “Saddam in the past destroyed and burnt our villages many times. We never had to ask for his permission to go back to our village every time he did. Why should we ask for permission from others who want to prevent us from accessing our lands.”

Locals explained people had evacuated their villages due to the presence of the PKK on one side, and the threat of Turkish airstrikes on the other.

“It is a mountainous area. How many villages shall we evacuate because of the PKK? One, 10, 20, or 30? There should be an understanding between the PKK and the KRG,” Jabar Mohammed told Kurdistan 24, another resident of Nahla.

He noted the clearing of villages due to the PKK is not something new, but rather fairly routine.

“What is unprecedented is preventing villagers from visiting their farms in the area.”

The villages are part of Dinarta. The town's Mayor, Sha’ban Khalil Abdullah, told Kurdistan 24 the presence of the PKK in the area alone causes fear among locals. He cautioned that the situation could become dangerous due to the obstacles imposed by the group and said the KRG would not accept it.

“We will not let the PKK establish bases in the area and prevent farmers from visiting their lands without first seeking their permission,” Abdullah said.

Kurdistan 24 tried to reach out to PKK commanders in the area. They refused to comment on the issue.

Turkey regularly shells PKK bases in the Kurdistan Region, as the NATO ally considers the group a “terrorist organization.”

PKK bases are present in multiple locations in the mountainous areas on the Kurdistan Region's border with Turkey and Iran.

Locals have often complained about PKK bases being set up in their villages, stating their presence has caused enormous damage to their agricultural lands by attracting Turkish airstrikes and creating instability.

 

Editing by G.H. Renaud

(Additional reporting by Ari Hussein)