Sulaymaniyah: Turkish Airlines announced the resumption of flights to Sulaymaniyah after suspending them in early April 2023. The company’s communications officer, Yahya Aston, said in a post on the American company’s “X” platform, “We are pleased to soon relaunch our route to Sulaymaniyah, with regular flights throughout the week.”

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Yahya Aston added that the airline aims to contribute to strengthening commercial, cultural, and tourism relations between Iraq and Turkey. He extended an invitation to guests to experience Turkish hospitality on board their aircraft.

In a related context, the Kurdistan Regional Government expressed gratitude to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his directive to resume flights to Sulaymaniyah. The statement noted that this decision coincides with an official visit by the President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, to Turkey, where he met with President Erdogan.

It is noteworthy that Turkey had closed its airspace to flights arriving at and departing from Sulaymaniyah International Airport in the Kurdistan Region on April 3, 2023. The decision was attributed to increased activities of the PKK and its infiltration of Sulaymaniyah Airport, which posed a threat to flight safety.