The Turkish military’s ongoing operation in the district of Xîzan (Hizan) in the Kurdish-majority southeastern province of Bitlis has led to the arrest, so-far, of two Kurdish civilians and caused extensive environmental damage. The operation, which began with a curfew on 2 July, continues to escalate tensions and raise concerns over rights violations.
On 10 August, eight Kurdish villagers were detained during house raids in the village of Yolbilen (Xûlepûr). Among them, Ahmet Aktay and Abdul Alim were arrested and taken to Bitlis Prison, accused of “aiding and abetting a terrorist organisation”. The arrests are part of a broader pattern in the region, in which encounters or conflicts between the Turkish army and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) guerrillas regularly lead to military pressure on local civilians. Suspected of harbouring the PKK, who are often connected to the local population, Kurdish civilians find themselves targeted without distinction from the guerrillas.
Continuous bombardment from helicopters and drones in the area has caused both human distress and also environmental degradation. The military operation, carried out in the Xîzan villages of Xûlepûr and Kekulan, has resulted in significant environmental damage. Intensive bombardment has damaged hundreds of trees, and heavy machinery has caused further harm to the natural landscape. Meanwhile, surveillance cameras and photo traps were placed in and around the villages.