Despite the end of armed conflict and the dissolution of PKK activities, the Turkish military continues to enforce strict conditions on displaced residents seeking to return to border areas in Zakho and Duhok, including movement restrictions and curfews.

Turkish Military Sets Conditions for Villagers’ Return

The Turkish military has imposed several conditions on residents returning to villages in the border areas of Zakho and Duhok. Under these measures, returnees are prohibited from carrying firearms and are not permitted to bring surplus food supplies into their villages.

In addition, villagers are required to remain within the boundaries of their respective communities and are prohibited from traveling beyond them. Movement is only permitted between 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM, after which a full curfew is enforced.

Displacement Figures Across Zakho and Amedi

According to official figures, 25 villages within the Zakho Autonomous Administration remain completely displaced due to security conditions.

The situation is more severe in Amedi District, where 206 out of 306 villages have been fully abandoned. Residents from only 30 villages are currently allowed temporary access to maintain agricultural lands and orchards. Despite repeated protests and formal appeals to return, the demands of displaced residents have not been met.

PKK Dissolution and the Disarmament Process

These restrictions remain in place despite the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) officially deciding to dissolve itself and permanently end armed activities during its 12th Congress, held between May 5 and May 7, 2025.

Additionally, in July 2025, a group of PKK fighters symbolically burned their weapons inside Jasana Cave to mark disarmament and signal the beginning of a peace process. Nevertheless, the Turkish military continues to cite various reasons for preventing the normal return of local residents.

Turkish Military Presence in the Kurdistan Region

According to data from the U.S.-based organization Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT), the Turkish military currently maintains 71 military bases and outposts across the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

As a result of Turkish cross-border bombardments and military operations, 9 civilians lost their lives in 2024 alone. These border regions, which served as active conflict zones for decades, have also sustained extensive damage to agriculture and the local environment.