Joint committee discuss findings of visits to Duhok border areas affected by conflict

The Parliament joint committee formed to look into the impact of the Turkey-PKK conflict on the borders of Duhok province, in Zakho and Amedi districts, met to discuss their findings and draft their report.

The joint committee conducted field visits to the areas in Zakho and Amedi affected by the PKK-Turkey conflict, where civilian residents and Peshmerga forces have been killed and injured in the crossfire of the conflict, and villagers’ lands and properties damaged.

The MPs discussed the causes of the damage to the areas, their recommendations on resolving the PKK-Turkey conflict and called for greater efforts to stop the conflict and an end to the destruction and depopulation of villages affected by the conflict.

Based on the committee’s findings in their field visits, the MPs decided that their report will describe the physical, material, moral and environmental damage caused by the conflict in the affected areas.

The MPs found that the consequences in Kurdistan Region of the Turkey-PKK conflict for has been death and injury to hundreds of civilians and Peshmerga, the loss of livelihoods for thousands of civilians, the destruction of hundreds of villages, burning of forests, loss of villagers’ livestock and destruction of the environment.

The committee is expected to complete their report soon and direct it to Parliament’s Presidency.

The committee was formed by a decision of Parliament’s Presidency. On 8th and 9th June the members visited Duhok governorate’s Zakho and Amedi districts which are on the border with Turkey, to look into the impact of the PKK-Turkey conflict and make recommendations.