Çelê district is today the centre of "securitized" policies with 38 restricted settlements. Located on the border of the Federal Kurdistan Region, the district has been stripped of civilian life through "special security zone" practices. 

 

Historically known for its trade routes, pastoral culture and multi-layered social structure, Çelê’s mountainous geography has shaped the lives of the region’s people for centuries, with villages at the centre of agriculture, animal husbandry and border trade relations. However, today it is known not for its historical and cultural richness, but for its 38 restricted settlement areas. 

 

Citing its location on the border of the Federal Kurdistan Region, the district’s rural area is largely maintained as a military zone. After being evacuated in the 1990s, the villages and rural areas were burned down and turned into military zones. The points of entry to the district that are otherwise open are closed off every 15 days by the Hakkari Governorate, which declares them off-limits. Many of the district’s villages and hamlets are off-limits. 

 

FROM CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY TO MILITARY ZONE 

 

The villages belonging to Çelê are not merely settlement areas; they also stand out as places that carry the historical memory and cultural continuity of the region. Highlands, pastures, and agricultural lands have been the foundation of collective life for generations. Today, all of these areas are closed to civilian use under the “special security zone” designation. Prohibitions declared as "temporary" have become permanent over the years. 

 

CENTRE OF DISTRICT SPECIAL SECURITY POLICIES

 

Surrounded by police stations, base areas and checkpoints, the district is encircled by high security measures not only in rural areas but also in the centre. This situation directly affects the district's socio-economic structure. The prohibition of access to villages has eliminated agriculture and animal husbandry, forcing a large part of the population to migrate. As the young population left the district, the villages gradually became depopulated. Thus, the restrictions went beyond being mere security measures and became a tool that altered the social fabric of the region.

 

Military strategies implemented along the border effectively turn the district into a "buffer zone," pushing the needs of civilian life into the background. The fact that 38 settlements are off-limits is indicative of this. 

 

RESTRICTIONS AND MILITARY PRESENCE 

 

The village evacuations that took place in the district intensified during the 1990s, with many villages that refused to accept the imposition of village guards being evacuated, effectively ending civilian life in those villages. Between 2000 and 2010, the military presence in the district became permanent. As police stations were built on every hilltop in the district, the number of base areas increased and returns to the villages were prevented. Between 2011 and 2014, the implementation of "special security zone" measures was expanded and intensified. While the military population in the district increased, the local population was subjected to displacement. In 2015, the prohibitions in the district became systematic.

 

MA / Zeynep Durgut