SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Turkey-Sulaimani flights have been suspended due to the intensification of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) activities in Sulaimani, said the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.
“The decision was taken within the framework of the intensification of the PKK terrorist organization’s activities in Sulaymaniyah, the terrorist organization’s penetration into the airport and thus threatening flight security,” a statement released by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
“The decision, which is expected to be valid until 3 July 2023 at the first stage, will be reviewed in the light of the developments that we will closely monitor until the mentioned date,” the statement added.
Sulaimani International Airport on Monday announced that the Turkish National Flag Carrier Airlines (Turkish Airlines) suspended flights between the Kurdistan Region’s Sulaimani and Turkey without sending any clarification.
It’s not the first time that Turkey makes such a decision.
Back in 2018-19, the Turkish Ministry of Transport imposed an embargo on flights between Turkey and the Sulaimani International Airport.
Ankara’s embargo back then was based on similar allegations that the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the dominant party in Sulaimani province, had accommodated and support the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The PKK is a Kurdish group fighting for broader rights in Turkey which Ankara, the United States, and the European Union have designated a “terrorist” organization.
