The Special Mine Search and Clearance (ÖMAT) teams of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) are conducting operations in rural areas of Çukurca district in the southeastern province of Hakkari as part of efforts to make the region safe for civilian use. The military teams are carrying out mine and explosive clearance operations in areas near the Iraqi border that have been cleared of terrorist activity.
Work is underway around the villages of Kurudere, Kavuşak and Işıklı, near the Iraqi border, which were evacuated in 1995 due to terrorism.
Specialist teams affiliated with the Defense Ministry are clearing mines and unexploded ordnance from the area following the restoration of security, paving the way for the villages and surrounding land to be used again.
ÖMAT teams from the 2nd Army Engineer Brigade Command, comprising experienced personnel equipped with advanced mine detection equipment, undergo extensive preparations before entering the field.
The equipment used in search and clearance operations is inspected before personnel put on protective gear and receive briefings on terrain, weather conditions and potential hazards.
After security measures are established, teams scan designated areas using mine detectors. The explosives discovered during the searches are identified and destroyed under controlled conditions.
Specially trained mine-detection dogs are also deployed during the operations, while emergency medical teams remain on standby.
By becoming a party to the Ottawa Convention in 2004, Türkiye agreed to phase out antipersonnel land mines and establish a humanitarian border surveillance system. Türkiye abolished the use of antipersonnel land mines by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in 2011.
A mine clearance agency tasked with removing land mines planted in the country’s border regions was established in 2015. In 2013, Türkiye requested and was granted an extension of its March 2014 deadline to clear all antipersonnel mines in its territories under the Ottawa Convention.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) reporters, a company commander overseeing the operation said the work is being conducted under the supervision of Türkiye’s National Mine Action Center (MAFAM), using trained personnel, advanced detection equipment and methods compliant with international standards.
“Our mission is to protect human life and make the land safe and habitable again,” the commander said.
He noted that mine clearance requires patience, discipline and careful coordination because of the risks involved.
The commander added that areas cleared by the teams could eventually be returned to civilian use, including agriculture and residential use.
“Our goal is to clear the land of mines and make every part of our country safe for our people,” he said.
Turkish authorities have strengthened security measures along the Türkiye-Iraq border in the southeastern province of Hakkari, where a newly constructed security wall and a network of deep trenches aim to curb illegal crossings, smuggling activities and potential terrorist threats.
The 2,152-meter (7,060-foot) modular concrete wall, built in Anadağ, a village in the Derecik district, was completed last year under the coordination of the Interior Ministry’s Directorate of Migration Management and the Hakkari Governor’s Office. The project also includes a 10-kilometer (6-mile) trench system measuring 7 meters deep and 7 meters wide.
