Villages that have remained banned under “security” grounds since the 1990s are still not open to settlement. In Şırnak, citizens who were unable to return to their villages, burned and destroyed around 30 years ago for the same reasons, continue to see all their applications rejected. Villagers who are only allowed to visit their homes for a few hours or a day with permits obtained from military posts or the governor’s office are unable to carry out any form of production in their gardens or fields. Among these are the villages of Şax (Çağlayan) and Hebler (Hisar), which have been under restriction for approximately 32 years. Although the decision designating the area as a special security zone has been lifted, the villages have still not been reopened for settlement. It has been learned that the area has instead been leased for 49 years to the Ministry of National Defense as a firing and training zone. Şax village has also been declared a first-degree protected site by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Banned villages under ecological destruction
Dozens of villages, particularly in Cudi, Gabar and Besta in Şırnak, remain restricted on the same grounds. Citizens are only able to visit their villages a few times a year, either with permits or under residency conditions. Villages that are not officially banned are also kept closed to visits due to “special security zone” decisions announced monthly by the governor’s office. In this geography where security is cited as a justification, ecological destruction has intensified in recent years, particularly in villages under restriction. In villages where public access is denied under pretexts such as tree cutting, dam construction, oil exploration or mining, the scale of destruction continues to grow each passing year. Tree cutting in Besta, oil exploration in Gabar, and mining activities or dam construction in Cudi are being used in an attempt to devastate the Botan region. Şax and Hebler villages, which were previously restricted and later revealed to have been leased to the Ministry of National Defense, are also among these areas.
Two villages to be submerged by dam project
Nerdüş Stream, one of the key water sources of Cudi Mountain that meets the population’s water needs, has been flowing contaminated for years due to coal mines in the region. A dam is now planned on the polluted riverbed by the 10th Regional Directorate of the State Hydraulic Works. Within the scope of this project, the villages of Şax and Hebler, located 15 kilometers from Cizre and banned for 32 years on “security” grounds, will largely be submerged. The project will not be limited to dam construction; it also includes a Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP), irrigation systems, material extraction sites, crushing-washing-screening facilities and concrete plants. With the construction of the dam, Şax village, declared a first-degree protected site by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and home to seven castles, will also be submerged. A lawsuit has been filed against the planned dam project. It has been learned that a positive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report was issued before receiving a clear opinion from the scientific committee, and that lawyers have filed objections regarding the process.
Villages leased to the ministry for 49 years
Lawyers representing the case told our agency that the process of leasing the two villages, targeted for destruction through ecological exploitation, to the Ministry of National Defense came to light after a villager applied to the Presidential Communication Center. They said that although the ban decision had been lifted, the leasing status continues to prevent people from returning to their villages and rebuilding their homes, and provided the following account: “They two villages we are referring to, Hisar(Şax) and Çağlayan(Hebler), have been evacuated since 1992 and have remained closed to settlement ever since. No one has been allowed to resettle there. On the other hand, the special security zone decision was lifted in May 2025. During that period, people could visit their villages by informing the relevant military commands in advance, seeing their land and return; however, the villages were absolutely not open for settlement. No one could stay there or build any structure.
After the special security zone status was lifted, the villages should also have been opened to settlement. In fact, there had long been no circumstances justifying such a decision, yet the ban has continued since 1992.
During this process, a villager submitted an application to the Presidential Communication Center asking why the village was still closed and expressing a desire to return. In response, it was stated that a large part of the area was being used as a firing and training zone and had been leased to the Ministry of National Defense for 49 years. Villagers were previously unaware of this situation and only learned of it through this response. The matter was then brought to us. We also submitted a request for information to the Ministry of National Defense. A response to this request was provided quite late.
Private properties also included in leased area
In the response provided, it was stated that the area in question had been leased in 2009 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to the Ministry of National Defense for 49 years. The lawyers said they could not recall the exact size of the area but emphasized that it covers a very large region. It was also noted that the area is being used as a firing and training zone. They said they had asked whether the area included private property or whether it consisted entirely of forest or treasury land. The response indicated that private properties are indeed located within the area, but no detailed information was provided, and they were referred to another institution.
Villagers are being prevented
The boundaries of the leased area remain unclear. It is not possible to access precise and transparent information on where the area begins and ends, or which parcels it covers. Despite this, restrictions are not limited to the designated area; both villages are entirely closed to entry, exit, and settlement. When villagers attempt to go to their villages, resettle or move freely in and out, they are consistently told that the area has been leased for 49 years. For this reason, even though the special security zone decision has been lifted, it is stated that entry and exit will not be freely allowed. This situation is communicated by officials at local military commands and outposts.”
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