Turkiye extends al-Sulaymaniyah airport ban

Shafaq News/ Turkiye extended its flight ban on al-Sulaymaniyah International Airport of the Kurdistan region for another six months, an Iraqi official announced on Saturday. The move, announced by al-Sulaymaniyah airport director Hendreen Hiwa on Saturday, prolongs the existing ban until December 7, 2024. Hiwa said the airport received official notification via email but lacked details on Turkiye's s motives. "We haven't received any explanation for the extension or the Turkish perspective on the matter," Hiwa told Shafaq News Agency. Previous attempts by Iraqi authorities, including Erbil and the Civil Aviation Authority, to convince Turkiye to reverse the ban through political channels proved unsuccessful, Hiwa added, suggesting further efforts might be made. Turkish Airlines suspended flights to al-Sulaymaniyah in April 2023, alleging the PKK, which Ankara considers a terrorist organization, maintains a presence in al-Sulaymaniyah and could infiltrate the airport, jeopardizing flight safety.