KRG deputy PM calls on Turkey to lift Sulaimani flight ban

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani on Thursday renewed his call on Turkey to lift its flight ban on Sulaimani during a meeting with Ankara's ambassador to Iraq. 

Anil Bora Inan on Thursday held a series of meetings with Kurdistan Region's officials and politicians, including Talabani.

The Kurdish deputy prime minister said in a statement on Facebook that that during his meeting with the Turkish diplomat he "requested that the Turkish government open its airspace to flights from Sulaimani International Airport."

Turkey on July 7 extended its flight ban on Sulaimani International Airport for the fifth time. The decision has prohibited flights in and out of Sulaimani from Turkey’s airspace since an initial three-month ban was imposed on April 3, 2023.

When first imposing the ban, Turkish foreign ministry spokesperson said it was in response to an alleged “intensification” of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) activity in Sulaimani province. Sulaimani authorities and an Iraqi security team, which visited the airport, have denied the claims. 

KRG officials, especially Talabani, has repeatedly called for the ban to be lifted. 

Sulaimani on Friday witnessed the historic disarmament of a first group of PKK fighters as part of the ongoing efforts to establish peace between Ankara and the PKK. 

"Regarding the peace process in Turkey, we considered the PKK's disarmament process a historic step and emphasized the Kurdistan Regional Government's readiness to provide any form of assistance to ensure the success of the process," Talabani said. 

Inan also visited Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani in Erbil. The two discussed a range of topics, including "the importance of intensifying efforts to ensure the success of the peace process in Turkey," according to a KRG statement.