HAKKARI, Turkey - Trekking in the remote and alpine mountains of Hakkari province in the Kurdish region of southeast Turkey (Bakur), a large number of people took part in the fourth Cilo and Sat Festival.
Located in Hakkari (Colemerg) province, Mount Cilo is the third highest mountain in the country at 3,400 meters above sea level.
"[Mount] Cilo is a landmark of this region. It is really a unique place. The festival is very amazing,” Hayrettin Kagnici, a tourist, told Rudaw’s Abdulsalam Akinci on Saturday.
Mount Cilo was a prohibited area from the 1990s until 2018 due to armed clashes between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Turkish army. The area was opened to the public and the first festival was held four years ago in September after tensions between the two eased in that area. In 2020, it was announced as the 45th national park, following a decision by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The two-day festival, organized by the governorship of Hakkari, ended on Saturday night with a concert by famous Turkish artist Murat Kekilli.
