Duhok Governor Urges PKK to Withdraw Its Fighters from Villages and Mountains

ARK News.. Duhok Governor Ali Tatar has revealed that one-third of the province’s villages have been destroyed and emptied of their residents due to the ongoing armed conflict between the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the Turkish military, stressing that Duhok is the most severely affected area in the Kurdistan Region as a result of this confrontation.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, May 15, 2025, Governor Tatar stated:
“Duhok is the most affected province in the Kurdistan Region due to the armed conflict between the PKK and the Turkish army. Nearly 30% of our villages have been destroyed and completely depopulated. The main reason residents have not returned to their homes is the policies pursued by the PKK. Some citizens have not set foot in their ancestral villages for over 38 years, due to ongoing security tensions and the armed presence in the border areas.”

Tatar called on PKK fighters to evacuate the villages and mountainous areas they currently occupy, so that residents can return to their homes and farmlands and resume normal life. He described the issue as both a “humanitarian and developmental priority,” welcoming any steps toward de-escalation and a ceasefire. He also reaffirmed the Duhok Governorate’s support for peace efforts between Ankara and the PKK, and urged for the continuation of the peace process in a way that ensures stability and the restoration of normal life in the border villages.

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