Turkey opens airspace to northern Iraq’s Erbil

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim announced the lifting of a flight ban to northern Iraq’s Erbil city.

Speaking to media in capital Ankara, Yildirim said: “We had closed down our airspace following northern Iraq’s referendum. We are opening our airspace as of today.”

An international flight ban had been imposed late last year in response to an illegitimate poll on regional independence carried out by the Erbil – based Kurdish Regional Government (KRG).

Before the poll, most regional actors — including Turkey — had voiced opposition to the referendum, with many warning that it would further destabilize the already volatile region.

Yildirim also said commercial flights would be available from either Turkey or Europe to Erbil.

“However, this is only effective for Erbil. There will be no flights to Sulaymaniyah.”

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