2.5 Years Closed Due To PKK Militants, Turkey Opens Again Flights To Iraq's Sulaimaniyah

Illustration of the Turkish flag. (Unsplash-Imad Alassory)

JAKARTA - Flights from Turkey to Sulaimaniyah, Iraq reopened on Monday local time. The route was closed for 2.5 years following Turkey's vigilance against increasing militant activity in the Kurdistan autonomous region.

Citing AFP, Tuesday, November 4, Sulaimaniyah International Airport spokesman Dana Mohammed said Turkish Airlines had 105 passengers starting its landing yesterday, before returning again on the same day Sulaimaniyah to Istanbul carrying 123 passengers.

Mohammed said Monday's flight marked the "termination of the ban" at the airport, adding that "Turkey's airspace has reopened from Monday for flights from Europe to airports (Sulaimaniyah) and vice versa."

Turkey is known to be the main transit point for incoming and outgoing flights from Sulaimaniyah.

In April 2023, Turkey announced a ban on flights to and from Sulaimaniyah International Airport on charges that Kurdistan's banned Workers Party had infiltrated the airport and increased activity in the province.

Days after Turkey's announcement, Iraq accused Turkey of carrying out attacks near airports while US troops were visiting with Mazloum Abdi, leader of Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

Turkey has repeatedly accused the People's Protection Unit, a key component of the SDF, of being linked to PKK militants.

The PKK began withdrawing all its troops from Turkish territory to northern Iraq last month.