The head of Sulaimani International Airport, Tahir Abdullah told VOA News that Turkey prevents flights from any country to be carried out from its airports to the Sulaimani International Airport.

“Through its Ministry of Transportation, the Iraqi government has informed the Turkish embassy to behave according to the international treaties that exists between Turkey and Iraq, and said how Turkey imposed a ban on Sulaimani airport” said Abdullah.

“The Iraqi Ministry of Transportation cautioned it will shut the Iraqi airports towards Turkey’s airlines... We cannot tell if the Iraqi government will do that, however we wish for it to be done as means to show the country’s position and authority.”

Baghdad severed Kurdistan Region’s air links to the outside world in late September after the region voted overwhelmingly for independence in a non-binding referendum rejected as illegal by the central government.

On March 13, Baghdad ordered the ban lifted on international flights to and from the Kurdistan Region’s airports, however Turkey is yet to open its airspace towards Sulaimani International Airport.

Reporter’s code: 50101