The number of Kurdish villages depopulated by Turkey is estimated at 3,000 to 4,000. Since 1984, the Turkish military has embarked on a campaign to eradicate the Kurdistan Workers Party; by the year 2000, some 30,000 people had died and two million Kurdish refugees had been driven out of their homes into cities.Ferhad Ibrahim, Gülistan Gürbey. The Kurdish conflict in Turkey: obstacles and chances for peace and democracy, Palgrave Macmillan, 2000. pg. 167. Dahlman, Carl. The Political Geography of Kurdistan pg. 11
Background Until the 1970s, about 70% of the Kurdish population of Turkish Kurdistan inhabited one of the approximately 20,000 Kurdish villages. But by 1985, only 58% of the population were still living in the rural areas and much of the countryside in Kurdish populated regions had been depopulated by the Turkish government, with Kurdish civilians moving to local centers such as Diyarbakır, Van, and Şırnak, as well as to the cities of western Turkey and even to western Europe. The causes of the depopulation were in most cases the Turkish state's military operations and to a lesser extent attacks by the PKK on villages it deemed defended by collaborators of the Turkish Government. Often Kurds had to decide whether to become a member of the state-sponsored Village Guards, be deported or else they could face attacks by the PKK. Human Rights Watch has documented many instances where the Turkish military forcibly evacuated villages, destroying houses and equipment to prevent the return of the inhabitants. An estimated 3,000 Kurdish villages in Southeast Anatolia were virtually wiped from the map, representing the displacement of more than 378,000 people. During the 1990s, the Turkish military reportedly deployed the US manufactured helicopters Sikorsky and Cobra to drive out the Kurdish population from the villages.
Depopulated and demolished towns and villages According to the Humanitarian Law Project, 2,400 Kurdish villages have been destroyed and 18,000 Kurds have been executed by the Turkish government. Other estimates have put the number of destroyed Kurdish villages at over 4,000. In total, up to 3,000,000 people (mainly Kurds) have been displaced.
The Kurdish Human Rights Project divides the depopulation (evacuation) of villages in 5 phases.
The initial phase between 1985 and 1989 The phase of centralization during 1990–1991 the phase of the systematic village evacuation between 1992 and 1993 the phase of the escalation of the village evacuation in 1994 between 1995 and 2001, further villages were depopulated
An estimated 1,000,000 people are still internally displaced .
1992 November – Kelekçi village destruction
Government compensation The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre stated in 2009 that the Turkish government has taken "notable" steps to address the internal displacement situation. These include commissioning a national survey on the number and conditions of IDPs, drafting a national IDP strategy, adopting law on compensation, and putting together a comprehensive pilot action plan in Van Province and 13 other south-eastern provinces addressing rural and urban situations of displacement.
Depopulated villages (as of 2025) List of villages which have been depopulated as of 2025: ProvinceDistrictVillageProvinceDistrictVillageŞırnak ProvinceBeytüşşebapDilekyoluHakkariŞemdinliAyranlıDönmezlerÇevreKovankaya (Assyrian)MeşelikTuzlucaYüksekovaIkiyakaYenicePirinçekenGüçlükonakBulmuşlarYazılıÇetinkayaÇukurcaÇağlayanErdurduÇayırlıEskikapıÇınarlıKırkağaçDedeÖzbaşoğluIşıklıYenidemirKavaklıİdilOzanKavuşakYaylaköyKurudereSilopiBallıkayaSiirtPervariMedreseDerebaşıBitlisBitlisEsenburunDüzalanMardinDargeçitOrmaniçiKaracaköyNusaybinDeğirmencikKoyunörenKaleliUyanıkÖmerliDönërdereYazıköyŞırnakAlkemerAnılmışBoyunkayaÇadırlıÇakırsöğütGüleşliGünedoğmuşİncelerKapanlıKarageçitKoçağılıKuşkonarSesliceTekçınarÜçkırazUludereAkdumanDoğanOnbudak
Villages repopulated after 2007 List of villages that have been repopulated after 2007: ProvinceDistrictVillageInfoBatmanGercüşCevizliUnpopulated until 2016HasankeyfGazilerUnpopulated until 2025KozlukKolludereUnpopulated until 2008HasankeyfPalamutUnpopulated until 2013BingölYedisuAkımlıUnpopulated until 2014YayladereAlınyazıUnpopulated until 2011KiğıBaklalıUnpopulated until 2011YayladereBilekkayaUnpopulated until 2008YayladereBoğazköyUnpopulated until 2014AdaklıCevizliUnpopulated until 2009YayladereÇatalkayaUnpopulated until 2008KiğıÇomakUnpopulated until 2024YayladereGökçedalUnpopulated until 2011KiğıİlbeyiUnpopulated until 2011YayladereKırköyUnpopulated until 2014KiğıKutlucaUnpopulated until 2010AdaklıMaltepeUnpopulated until 2024YayladereYavuztaşUnpopulated until 2009KiğıYukarıserinyerUnpopulated until 2012BitlisTatvanAnadereUnpopulated until 2010BitlisAşağıbalcılarUnpopulated until 2013TatvanÇavuşlarUnpopulated until 2010BitlisIlıcakUnpopulated until 2008BitlisKayalıbağUnpopulated until 2008BitlisKınalıUnpopulated until 2010TatvanOdabaşıUnpopulated until 2012BitlisOğulcakUnpopulated until 2022BitlisSarpkayaUnpopulated until 2008BitlisUçankuşUnpopulated until 2008BitlisÜçevlerUnpopulated until 2008Diyarbakır ErganiDevletkuşuUnpopulated until 2009ÇınarGürsesUnpopulated until 2010ErganiKavurmaküpüUnpopulated until 2009DicleKırkpınarUnpopulated until 2010DicleKurşunluUnpopulated until 2013BismilKurudeğirmenUnpopulated until 2008DicleTaşağılUnpopulated until 2013LiceYolçatıUnpopulated until 2009ErzurumHınısIlıcaköyUnpopulated until 2010HakkariHakkariAksuUnpopulated until 2015ÇukurcaCevizliUnpopulated until 2011ÇukurcaKazanUnpopulated until 2014YüksekovaSürekliUnpopulated until 2013HakkariYoncalıUnpopulated until 2013IğdırAralıkTarlabaşıUnpopulated until 2022MardinDargeçitAkçaköyUnpopulated until 2010DerikBağarasıUnpopulated until 2023DargeçitÇavuşluUnpopulated until 2013DargeçitKorucuUnpopulated until 2013DargeçitKumdereUnpopulated until 2013DargeçitKuşlucaUnpopulated until 2013MidyatOyukluUnpopulated until 2012NusaybinPazarköyUnpopulated until 2016NusaybinTekağaçUnpopulated until 2022ÖmerliTopağaçUnpopulated until 2008DargeçitUlaşUnpopulated until 2013MidyatYeniceUnpopulated until 2008SiirtEruhAkmeşeUnpopulated until 2014SiirtBağlıcaUnpopulated until 2011EruhBingölUnpopulated until 2010Şirvan CevizdalıUnpopulated until 2008EruhKovanağzıUnpopulated until 2023EruhNarlıdereUnpopulated until 2024SiirtYazlıcaUnpopulated until 2009EruhYanılmazUnpopulated until 2009ŞırnakGüçlükonakAğaçyurduUnpopulated until 2014SilopiAksu (Assyrian)Unpopulated until 2019CizreAşağıdereUnpopulated until 2025ŞırnakAtbaşıUnpopulated until 2011ŞırnakBağpınarUnpopulated until 2018GüçlükonakDemirboğazUnpopulated until 2011BeytüşşebapDoğanyolUnpopulated until 2016ŞırnakKemerliUnpopulated until 2024ŞırnakKırkkuyuUnpopulated until 2011ŞırnakKörüklükayaUnpopulated until 2013SilopiKösreli (Assyrian)Unpopulated until 2015İdilMağaraköyUnpopulated until 2011GüçlükonakTaşkonakUnpopulated until 2014BeytüşşebapToptepeUnpopulated until 2013SilopiSelçikUnpopulated until 2010SilopiYolağzıUnpopulated until 2019ŞırnakCevizdüzüUnpopulated until 2023TunceliOvacıkAğaçpınarUnpopulated until 2011PülümürAğaşenliğiUnpopulated until 2008PülümürAkdikUnpopulated until 2009OvacıkAktaşUnpopulated until 2014PülümürAltınhüseyinUnpopulated until 2009OvacıkAşlıcaUnpopulated until 2009TunceliBabaocağıUnpopulated until 2008OvacıkBilekliUnpopulated until 2015OvacıkBilgeçUnpopulated until 2018HozatBoydaşUnpopulated until 2018OvacıkBuzlutepeUnpopulated until 2010PülümürÇağlayanUnpopulated until 2008TunceliÇalkıranUnpopulated until 2008OvacıkÇambulakUnpopulated until 2010OvacıkÇatköyUnpopulated until 2013OvacıkÇayüstüUnpopulated until 2012TunceliDikenliUnpopulated until 2013TunceliDilekUnpopulated until 2008NazımiyeDoğantaşUnpopulated until 2010OvacıkDoludibekUnpopulated until 2013PülümürEfeağılıUnpopulated until 2008OvacıkEğimliUnpopulated until 2012OvacıkEğrikavakUnpopulated until 2010TunceliEğriyamaçUnpopulated until 2008OvacıkElgaziUnpopulated until 2013OvacıkEskigedikUnpopulated until 2010OvacıkGaripuşağıUnpopulated until 2014TunceliGözenUnpopulated until 2008OvacıkHalitpınarUnpopulated until 2015OvacıkIşıkvuranUnpopulated until 2010OvacıkKarataşUnpopulated until 2011PülümürKaymaztepeUnpopulated until 2010HozatKızılmescitUnpopulated until 2013OvacıkKoruköyUnpopulated until 2018HozatKozlucaUnpopulated until 2014HozatKurukaymakUnpopulated until 2022OvacıkKuşlucaUnpopulated until 2010OvacıkOtlubahçeUnpopulated until 2013TunceliPınarUnpopulated until 2008OvacıkŞahverdiUnpopulated until 2012PülümürŞampaşakaraderbendiUnpopulated until 2009OvacıkTepsiliUnpopulated until 2011OvacıkYakatarlaUnpopulated until 2011OvacıkYalmanlarUnpopulated until 2013OvacıkYarımkayaUnpopulated until 2010OvacıkYoğunçamUnpopulated until 2014HozatYüceldiUnpopulated until 2010VanGürpınarBükeçUnpopulated until 2009
See also Kurds in Turkey Kurdish villages destroyed during the Iraqi Arabization campaign December 2015–February 2016 Cizre curfew
References
External links Kurds Are Finally Heard: Turkey Burned Our Villages THE DEFENCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS