Turkish Flights to Iraq's Sulaimaniyah Resume After Two-Year Ban
Following a ban due to alleged increased militant activity, flights between Turkey and the Iraqi Kurdish city of Sulaimaniyah have resumed after a two-and-a-half-year hiatus.
SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq: Flights between Turkiye and the Iraqi Kurdish city of Sulaimaniyah resumed on Monday after a ban that lasted for approximately two and a half years.
The resumption of flights came following accusations from Ankara that there was increased militant activity in the province.
Airport spokesman Dana Mohammed confirmed that the first Turkish Airlines flight landed at Sulaimaniyah Airport with 105 passengers aboard before departing to Istanbul with 123 passengers on board.
This move marked the official end of the ban on flights, according to Mohammed, who also stated that Turkish airspace has been reopened for flights from Europe to and vice versa.
Turkiye serves as the main transit point for flights in and out of Sulaimaniyah, a crucial city within Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region.
Turkish Airlines is set to operate four weekly flights to the city, while the Turkish budget carrier AJet will begin its operations in December.
This announcement came shortly after Ankara imposed a ban on flights due to allegations that the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party had infiltrated Sulaimaniyah International Airport and increased activity in the province.
The ban was also fueled by accusations from Iraq regarding strikes carried out near the airport by Turkiye days after the announcement, with US forces present alongside Mazloum Abdi, leader of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.
Turkiye has continuously alleged that the Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG), a key component of the SDF, are linked to the PKK.
However, last month, the PKK began withdrawing all its forces from Turkish soil to northern Iraq.
In May, the group formally renounced its armed struggle against Turkiye, putting an end to four decades of violence that had resulted in over 50,000 fatalities.
The resumption of flights came following accusations from Ankara that there was increased militant activity in the province.
Airport spokesman Dana Mohammed confirmed that the first Turkish Airlines flight landed at Sulaimaniyah Airport with 105 passengers aboard before departing to Istanbul with 123 passengers on board.
This move marked the official end of the ban on flights, according to Mohammed, who also stated that Turkish airspace has been reopened for flights from Europe to and vice versa.
Turkiye serves as the main transit point for flights in and out of Sulaimaniyah, a crucial city within Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region.
Turkish Airlines is set to operate four weekly flights to the city, while the Turkish budget carrier AJet will begin its operations in December.
This announcement came shortly after Ankara imposed a ban on flights due to allegations that the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party had infiltrated Sulaimaniyah International Airport and increased activity in the province.
The ban was also fueled by accusations from Iraq regarding strikes carried out near the airport by Turkiye days after the announcement, with US forces present alongside Mazloum Abdi, leader of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.
Turkiye has continuously alleged that the Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG), a key component of the SDF, are linked to the PKK.
However, last month, the PKK began withdrawing all its forces from Turkish soil to northern Iraq.
In May, the group formally renounced its armed struggle against Turkiye, putting an end to four decades of violence that had resulted in over 50,000 fatalities.
