Turkiye extends flight ban on Kurdistan’s Sulaymaniyah Airport to December

Turkiye has extended its flight ban on Iraqi Kurdistan’s Sulaymaniyah International Airport until 7 December. This move, announced by Handren Mufti, the airport’s director, is seen as Ankara’s attempt to pressure the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) to distance itself from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is designated as a terrorist group by Turkiye, the US and the EU. The PUK, which controls Sulaymaniyah, is accused by Ankara of supporting the separatist group. Mufti said that the airport received official notification via email but lacked details on Turkiye’s motives. “We haven’t received any explanation for the extension or the Turkish perspective on the matter,” he told Shafaq News Agency. The flight ban, imposed initially in April 2023, was cited […]