Turkey has agreed to lift the flight ban it placed on Iraq's Sulaymaniyah International Airport more than two years ago over alleged Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) activity in the area, flag carrier Turkish Airlines and Iraq's Kurdistan region announced on Thursday.
The decision was announced after a meeting by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iraqi Kurdistan President Nechirvan Barzani in Ankara. Mr Barzani thanked his Turkish counterpart for the order, which was made during the meeting, according to a statement by the Kurdish presidency.
"This decision is a testament to the robust relationship between the Kurdistan Region and the Republic of Turkiye, which we believe will significantly enhance mutual cooperation for the benefit of both sides," the statement said.
The announcement was also confirmed by Turkey’s state-owned Anadolu Agency on their Kurdish account on X.
Turkish Airlines welcomed the resumption of flights.
“As the flag carrier, we continue to proudly represent Turkey in the skies around the world. In line with this vision, we are thrilled to soon reunite our Sulaymaniyah route with the skies once again,” said Yahya Ustun, senior vice president of communications for Turkish Airlines.
“With our Sulaymaniyah flights, which will operate regularly seven days a week, we aim to contribute to further strengthening the commercial, cultural, and touristic ties between Iraq and Turkey,” he added.
Ankara imposed the initial flight ban in April 2023 in response to what it said was growing activity of the outlawed PKK across Sulaymaniyah province. On Monday, Turkey had once again extended the ban for another three months.
Turkish officials have repeatedly accused the Sulaymaniyah-based Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), one of the two main Kurdish ruling parties, of harbouring and supporting the PKK. The party has denied the accusation and has welcomed the outlawed group's announcement to disarm as part of a historic peace process with the Turkish state.
The group waged an armed insurgency against the Turkish state for decades in an attempt to secure greater rights for the country's Kurdish minority which makes up about one-fifth of the population. It is designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and the EU.
In May, the PKK agreed to dissolve and in July began destroying its weapons in a symbolic ceremony held near Sulaymaniyah. Kurdish politicians, including Mr Barzani, have played a key role in the peace process and disarmament of the PKK.
While most of the PKK members in Iraq live in areas under control of the Kurdistan Regional Government, the Turkey-Iraq border security forces are under federal control.
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
How to donate
Text the following numbers:
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*numbers work for both Etisalat and du
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Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier
ICC Academy, November 22-28
UAE fixtures
Nov 22, v Malaysia
Nov 23, v Hong Kong
Nov 25, v Bhutan
Nov 26, v Kuwait
Nov 28, v Nepal
ICC T20I rankings
14. Nepal
17. UAE
25. Hong Kong
34. Kuwait
35. Malaysia
44. Bhutan
UAE squad
Chaya Mughal (captain), Natasha Cherriath, Samaira Dharnidharka, Kavisha Egodage, Mahika Gaur, Priyanjali Jain, Suraksha Kotte, Vaishnave Mahesh, Judit Peter, Esha Rohit, Theertha Satish, Chamani Seneviratne, Khushi Sharma, Subha Venkataraman
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Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Cheeseburger%20ingredients
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