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Turkey primarily based its choice on the alleged rise of PKK-linked exercise within the northern Iraqi metropolis.
Turkey has closed its airspace to planes taking off from and touchdown in Iraq’s northern metropolis of Sulaimaniyah, citing what it stated was the heightened presence of Kurdistan Staff’ Social gathering (PKK) fighters there, in line with a spokesman from its Ministry of Overseas Affairs.
The closure, introduced on Wednesday, started on the identical day and can proceed till July 3 with the opportunity of an extension, the spokesman stated, including that there had been PKK “infiltration” of Sulaymaniyah airport.
The director of the airport, Handren al Mufti, stated that the airport had obtained an e-mail from Turkish Airways on Monday saying that its flights that day and the subsequent had been cancelled, earlier than a subsequent e-mail prolonged the suspension till April 11.
“I can guarantee everybody that we have now no safety points in any respect, and never a single incident of safety breach occurred contained in the airport, however apparently there are different functions behind their choice,” al Mufti stated.
The choice comes weeks after two helicopters crashed in northern Iraq, killing fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces on board.
The SDF is essentially made up of the YPG, which Turkey says is the Syrian wing of the PKK. The incident fueled claims that the PKK was in possession of helicopters, infuriating Turkish authorities.
This isn’t the primary time Turkey has closed its airspace to and from the northern Iraqi metropolis, having imposed a similar ban from 2017 to 2019.
The PKK and the Turkish state have been embroiled in battle for the reason that Nineteen Eighties. Turkey, the US and European Union have blacklisted the motion as a “terrorist” group.
In recent times, Turkey has carried out quite a few operations towards the PKK in northern Iraq, the place the group has bases. The newest operation started in April last year and is ongoing regardless of opposition from the Iraqi central authorities in Baghdad.
Civilians have been caught within the combating, most notably in July when eight tourists were killed in a Turkish air assault.
Ankara has shut ties to the Kurdistan Democratic Social gathering, the most important get together in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish area. The get together is dominant within the regional capital, Erbil. Its rival, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, has nearer ties to the PKK and is dominant in Sulaimaniyah.
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