Colemêrg-In Colemêrg (Hakkari), where the number of outposts and military bases is increasing every passing day, is like an open prison for local people. For “security” reasons, the entrance of many areas has been “banned”. The women, who milk goats, make cheese and collect herbs, are also badly affected by the ban. In summer, milkmaids set up tents in highlands and live there to have good quality milk; however, they are not allowed to stay in highlands now. For this reason, they have to walk at least three hours every year to milk their goats.

Milkmaids living in the Büyükçiftlik (Xırvate) village of Hakkari’s Gever (Yüksekova) district have to wake up early in the morning to go to Meydana Bellek highland. They have to pass cliffs, dusty and bad roads to arrive in the highland.

‘Transportation costs are more than what we earn’

The milkmaids told us that they were not allowed to go to highlands by the military. Nihayet Zeydan, one of the milkmaids, said:

“Every day, we wake up early in the morning to go to the highland. We want to set up our tents in the highland; however, the military does not allow us. We do not know why they do not allow us. We spend hours coming here (highland) every day. We were allowed, we would stay here and milk our goats whenever we wanted. The transportation costs are more than what we earn from milk.”

‘The ban should be lifted’

Nihayet Zeydan demands the ban be lifted. “They do not allow us to spend the summer in the highland. This ban should be lifted so that we can go to the highland. The outpost in the village does not allow us to stay in the highland. We do not want to pay that much for a two-hour drive. We got sick due to the dusty road.”

‘Our health worsens’

Ayşe Unat also demanded the lift of the ban so that they can stay in the highlands to milk their goats. “We want to stay in the highland to milk our goats and not to pay that much for transportation. The goats do not produce milk like they used to. The transportation costs are more than what we earn from milk. If we stayed here, we would not pay so much. Due to the dusty road, our health worsens,” Ayşe Unat told NuJINHA.

Gülcan Çetinkaya told us that they began to milk their goats after having breakfast. She said, “We spend three hours to arrive here every day. We all got sick from the dusty road. We want to stay here in summer by setting up our tents; however, we have to walk three hours every day to bring our goats and milk them. Then, we have to return to the village.”