Nearly 2,000 families herd 350,000 sheep in these mountains to escape the summer heat. There are also some 150,000 beehives in the area.
But clashes between the Turkish army and the PKK have driven them off the mountains.
The PKK has its headquarters in Kurdistan Region’s Qandil mountains. The Kurdish force is a named terror organization in Turkey and the West, and Turkish forces regularly carry out airstrikes against alleged PKK positions.
This spring, Turkey launched a ground operation and has pushed at least 19 kilometres into the Kurdistan Region, forcing the evacuation of more than 350 villages. Several civilians have been killed.
“Due to Turkey’s bombs and jets, no one dares to head to the Bradost region,” said shepherd Zrar Mahmoud.
Unable to go to their mountains, these families have set up tents on the roadside and are worried about the survival of their flocks.
“These roads aren't a place to live. The mountains are our homes. We have been there for 24 to 25 years and now there is no place to go to,” said Pary Aziz.
The KRG has called on the PKK to withdraw from the area in order to end Turkey’s attacks.
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