In a dramatic turn of events, displaced Kurdish families in northern Iraq are cautiously eyeing a potential return home following a ceasefire announcement by the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) with Turkey. This ceasefire, prompted by the directive of imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan, has ignited hope among residents of the Amidi district, an area ravaged by years of conflict.

Once a thriving agricultural hub known for its fertile lands and rich produce, the Amidi district has been reduced to ashes due to relentless clashes between Turkish forces and the PKK. Farmers like Shirwan, whose family has cultivated the land for generations, now stand helpless as their livelihoods crumble. “My farm was burned down by shelling,” Shirwan lamented, highlighting the devastating impact of the violence that has forced thousands from their homes.

With only a fraction of families remaining in villages like Siril, the landscape is littered with the remnants of conflict—abandoned farms, stray bullets, and a palpable sense of despair. The PKK’s presence has turned once-bustling communities into battlefields, severely restricting access to farmland and exacerbating the plight of displaced families desperate to return and rebuild their lives.

As the ceasefire takes effect, the call for peace resonates strongly among the local population. “If they leave, there won’t be any shelling,” Shirwan expressed, emphasizing the urgent need for a lasting resolution to the conflict that has claimed over 40,000 lives since its inception in 1984.

The resilience of the Kurdish people shines through the devastation, as they await the implementation of the peace deal. With the hope of seeing their fields and orchards flourish once again, the displaced families of northern Iraq remain poised for a new chapter, one that could finally bring the peace they have long sought.