Tukey closes airspace to flights from Iraqi Kurdistan region

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
5 Apr 2023 21:33

The decision has been effective since January and is expected to remain so till July.

Travelers line up to check in at the Irbil International Airport, in Iraq, Friday, Sept. 29, 2017 (AP Photo/Bram Janssen)

It was revealed today that the Turkish airspace has been closed for all flights from Iraq's Suleymaniyah airport, in the Iraqi Kurdistan region, due to tensions with the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) militants in the region.

"Turkish airspace has been closed to aircraft which land/take off at Iraq’s Sulaymaniyah International Airport as of 3 April. The decision was taken upon the intensification of PKK terrorist organization's activities in Sulaymaniyah, infiltration by the terrorist organization into the airport and thus threatening of flight safety," Minister Tanju Bilgic of the Turkish Foreign Minister.

Initially, the decision was announced to be valid until July however it was noted that Ankara will deliberate in accord with developments.

Back in early March, two Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters were killed following a Turkish drone strike that targeted Sinjar, in northern Iraq.

Back in February, the PKK announced that they are temporarily suspending "operations" in Turkey after the massive earthquake that struck Turkey.

Earlier in December, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held a phone call, during which they discussed several issues, such as bilateral ties, Kurdish forces in Northern Syria, and starting work on exporting other commodities and food products through the Black Sea grain corridor.

Yesterday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov revealed that several possible dates for the anticipated quadripartite meeting, between Syria, Turkey, Russia, and Iran, were proposed during the talks between the deputy foreign ministers.