According to a spokesman from its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkey has closed its airspace to planes taking off from and landing in Iraq’s northern city of Sulaimaniyah, citing what it said was the heightened presence of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters there.
Publish dateThursday 6 April 2023 - 18:26
Story Code : 268062
Afghan Voice Agency (AVA)_Monitoring, Turkey has closed its airspace to planes taking off from and landing in Iraq’s northern city of Sulaimaniyah, citing what it said was the heightened presence of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters there, according to a spokesman from its Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The director of the airport, Handren al Mufti, said that the airport had received an email from Turkish Airlines on Monday saying that its flights that day and the next were cancelled, before a subsequent email extended the suspension until April 11.
“I can assure everyone that we have no security issues at all, and not a single incident of security breach occurred inside the airport, but apparently there are other purposes behind their decision,” al Mufti said.
The decision comes weeks after two helicopters crashed in northern Iraq, killing fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces on board.
The SDF is largely made up of the YPG, which Turkey says is the Syrian wing of the PKK. The incident fueled claims that the PKK was in possession of helicopters, infuriating Turkish authorities.
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