Turkey lifts flight ban on airport in Kurdish region after peace initiative with PKK militant group

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ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey has lifted its flight ban on an airport in Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdish region, a restriction originally imposed in 2023 due to concerns over alleged Kurdish militant activity in the area.

The decision to resume flights to Sulaymaniyah International Airport was announced by the office of Nechirvan Barzani, president of the Kurdish Region, late Thursday following a meeting in Ankara with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Erdogan and Barzani discussed Turkey’s relations with Iraq and the Kurdish region, as well as opportunities for cooperation and regional developments, according to a statement from Erdogan’s office.

Turkey imposed the ban two years ago, citing an alleged increase in operations by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, in Sulaymaniyah that it said posed risks to flight safety.

The PKK, designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, has led a decades-long insurgency in Turkey that has extended into Iraq and Syria, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths.

Earlier this year, the PKK agreed to disband and renounce armed conflict as part of a new peace initiative with Turkey. A symbolic disarmament ceremony was held near Sulaymaniyah in July.

In a statement, the Kurdistan Region Presidency welcomed Turkey’s decision, calling it a reflection of the strong ties between the two sides and a move that would deepen mutual cooperation.

Turkish Airlines also confirmed the resumption of flights.

“As the flag carrier, we continue to proudly represent Turkey in the skies across the globe. In line with this vision, we are delighted to soon reconnect our Sulaymaniyah route with the skies once again,” the company's spokesperson, Yahya Ustun, said on social media.

The decision came as Iraq’s foreign minister, Fuad Hussein, arrived in the Turkish capital for talks with Turkish officials to discuss the water issue between the two countries and ways to expand cooperation, Iraqi officials said. Baghdad has complained that dams built by Turkey are reducing Iraq’s water supply.