Kurdistan
Sulaimani airport and meeting between President Barzani and Erdogan in Ankara on October 9, 2025. Graphic: Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to lift the flight ban on Sulaimani International Airport at the request of Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, Rudaw has learned.
Turkey on Monday extended its flight ban on Sulaimani International Airport for another three months. Turkey imposed a flight ban on the airport on April 3, 2023 in response to an alleged “intensification” of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) activity in Sulaimani province, referring to the crash of two helicopters carrying Syrian Kurdish fighters a month earlier.
A source told Rudaw on the condition of anonymity that President Barzani, who met with Erdogan on Thursday, has convinced the Turkish leader to lift the ban on the airport.
Erdogan asked President Barzani, “Why do you care so much about Sulaimani?” President Barzani replied, “I am the President of Kurdistan Region, and half of me is from Sulaimani.” Erdogan laughed after hearing this, added the source.
Yahya Ustun, Senior Vice President of the Turkish Airlines' communications, announced on X that they will soon resume flights to Sulaimani.
"As the flag carrier, we continue to proudly represent Turkey in the skies around the world. In line with this vision, we are thrilled to soon reunite our Sulaimani route with the skies once again," he said.
"With our Sulaimani flights, which will operate regularly seven days a week, we aim to contribute to further strengthening the commercial, cultural, and touristic ties between Iraq and Turkey," he added.
Kurdistan Region Presidency thanked Erdogan for lifting the ban.
"This decision comes within the framework of the strong relations between the Kurdistan Region and the Republic of Turkey, which we are confident will be helpful and cooperative in further advancing mutual cooperation and will be in the interest of both sides, especially in the interest of our citizens in Sulaymaniyah province," it said in a statement.
Turkish officials have repeatedly accused Sulaimani authorities of supporting the PKK and the flight ban is not the first time Ankara has taken punitive measures against the province.
Following the Kurdistan Region’s independence referendum in 2017, international airspace to Erbil and Sulaimani airports was ordered closed by the Iraqi federal government. Turkey and most other countries re-opened their airspace to planes bound for Erbil in March 2018. However, Ankara refused to allow flights bound for Sulaimani, citing alleged support for the PKK by the province’s ruling Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
The Iraqi government recently approved a request to rename the Sulaimani airport after prominent Kurdish figure and late Iraqi president Jalal Talabani.
Following the Kurdistan Region’s independence referendum in 2017, international airspace to Erbil and Sulaimani airports was ordered closed by the Iraqi federal government. Turkey and most other countries re-opened their airspace to planes bound for Erbil in March 2018. However, Ankara refused to allow flights bound for Sulaimani, citing alleged support for the PKK by the province’s ruling Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
The Iraqi government recently approved a request to rename the Sulaimani airport after prominent Kurdish figure and late Iraqi president Jalal Talabani.
Updated at 9:16 pm
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