IRAQ: No hunting allowed

The security chief along the gorgeous and mountainous stretch of the Iraq-Turkey border was a genial man. He welcomed us into his office  and invited us to sit down by his desk. He served us tea, and then fed us a line of bull.

I pressed him about the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, the Kurdish militant group that has been attacking Turkish soldiers. Was it true, as we'd heard, that the fighters came to this town, Mergasur, for medical treatment? Do they ever visit the town's hospital? Do any of the nonprofit organizations in town or villagers give them support?

He paused thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "You know," he said, "a lot of things that are allowed in other parts of Iraqi Kurdistan aren't allowed here. Cutting down trees, for example. If you cut down a tree, I'll put you in jail for two months."

Yes, of course, I said, but don't some Kurds view the PKK as a deterrent force, a line of defense against any Turkish invasion?

He continued, paying no heed to my words. "Hunting, also is not allowed," he said. "There are 10,000 deer and gazelle roaming the mountains and countryside. You can go see them. But you cannot hunt them. Even the wolves cannot be touched."

I sighed in desperation. I started grasping at straws. Wasn't he worried that Turkey's domestic politics would drive Anakara to invade?

A smile flashed across his face. "Even the fish," he said. "You can fish with a rod and reel, but you can't use dynamite or electricity. All the animals of this region are protected."

— Borzou Daragahi in Mergasur, Iraq

Photo: Nope, nothing strange going on here. A sign at the hospital in the northern Iraqi town of Mergasur, where Kurdish militants allegedly, warns visitors to leave their weapons outside. Credit: Delphine Minoui