Lice, Turkey

Lice (Turkish pronunciation: [ˈlidʒe]; Kurdish: Lîcê; Armenian: Լճէ, romanized: Ldjē; Syriac: ܠܓܗ) is a district and town of Diyarbakır Province, Turkey. Its area is 982 km2 and population is 24,364 (2022). It is located 90 km from the capital, Diyarbakır, and the current governor of the town is Kerem Yenigün. The town is populated by Kurds. The district of Lice traces its roots all the way back to Mesopotamia and ancient Assyria, and its history is significantly diverse across multiple ethnic groups. Although originally having a mixed population of Armenians, Assyrians, and Kurds, its current population is mainly Kurds. Lice's modern history is defined by its role in the Kurdish-Turkish conflict, where in the village of Fîs the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) was founded. This has caused significant tensions between the Turkish government and ethnic Kurds, and Lice has been the site of numerous human rights violations across both sides. The district is also known for its role in drug trafficking and organized crime, with the Baybaşin family originating from Lice.