Erdogan cites PKK concerns
Turkey to maintain flight ban on Sulaymaniyah
NEWSROOM — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan affirmed that Turkey will maintain its flight ban on Sulaymaniyah as long as Sulaymaniyah’s ruling party, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, maintains what Turkey alleges are ties with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, known by its Kurdish initialism PKK.
Erdogan restated this condition during his return from the NATO summit in Washington D.C., emphasizing that the stance on Sulaymaniyah would not change without significant actions from its leadership.
Since April 2023, all flights to and from Sulaymaniyah have been prohibited from crossing Turkish airspace, resulting in a loss of approximately $10 million for the airport, according to Handren Hiwa, the airport director. In June, the ban was extended yet again from July 12 to Dec. 07, 2024.
Erdogan called for action against the PKK in the Sulaymaniyah governorate, indicating that Turkey might reconsider their position if satisfactory measures are taken. “For now, the ball is in their court,” Erdogan said, signaling that the decision lies with the authorities in Sulaymaniyah.
The impact of the flight ban was a key issue during Erdogan’s earlier meeting in Erbil with Qubad Talabani, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government and key PUK figure, who urged Erdogan to rethink the decision given its economic and regional repercussions.
“When we went to Erbil, we said that as long as the Sulaymaniyah administration does not distance themselves from the PKK, our stance against Sulaymaniyah will not change. The embargo on the airspace will continue. We told them on every occasion, ‘If you take some steps on the Sulaymaniyah side, we will reconsider our position,’” Erdogan told Turkish reporters.
Earlier this month, the Iraqi Parliament’s Transport and Communications Committee inspected Sulaymaniyah International Airport, affirming its civilian status and denying any military violations. Turkish officials have alleged that the airport facilities were being used by the PKK, even threatening military action against it.
Karwan Yarways, a Kurdish member of the Iraqi Parliament, strongly dismissed these allegations, saying threats against civilian aviation were a violation of international law.
Following the Kurdistan Region’s independence referendum in Sept., 2017, Turkey closed its airspace to both Erbil and Sulaymaniyah airports. The ban on Erbil was lifted in July 2018, while Sulaymaniyah’s continued until January 26, 2019.
Turkey has repeatedly accused the PUK, of supporting the PKK. These accusations have led to several punitive measures against the governorate, including the ongoing flight ban. However, the PUK refutes these allegations, stating they have no knowledge of any operations by the PKK in Sulaymaniyah or its surroundings.
In recent years, the PUK has strengthened its ties with the Syrian Democratic Forces in Syria, which Turkey views as an affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party.
Turkey is currently conducting a large-scale military operation against the PKK in Duhok, leading to the evacuation of several villages. The party, an armed Kurdish group, has been waging war against Turkish state since the early 1980s.
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