SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Sulaimani governor Haval Abubakr on Saturday told Esta Media Network that Turkey is expected to reopen its airspace to flights from and to Sulaimani International Airport in July.
Turkey has closed its airspace to planes taking off from and landing in Sulaimani City since April, citing the alleged heightened presence of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters there.
“Our all efforts continuing at all levels to reopen the Turkish airspace,” Abubakr told Esta Media Network.
“We hope that we would get a positive result in July,” he said. “We have received some pledges, we hope them to be taken into effect,” he added.
The PKK and the Turkish state have been embroiled in conflict since the 1980s. Turkey, the United States, and European Union have blacklisted the movement as a “terrorist” organization.
In recent years, Turkey has conducted numerous operations against the PKK in the Kurdistan Region, where the group has bases despite opposition from the Iraqi central government in Baghdad.
Abubakr further stated that last week they had welcomed twenty-five big Turkish businessmen in Sulaimani City, who intends to launch investments that benefits both sides, according to his words.
