Turkey lifts flight ban on Sulaimani International Airport

Flights Between Turkey and Sulaimani to Resume November 3, 2025

ANKARA,— Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has approved the lifting of Turkey’s airspace ban on flights to Sulaimani International Airport, ending more than a year and a half of restrictions that had disrupted travel and trade between Turkey and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, according to Turkish officials.

The flight ban, first introduced on April 3, 2023, was based on what Turkish authorities described as increased Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) activity in Sulaimani province.

The order blocked all international flights bound for Sulaimani from entering Turkish airspace, forcing passengers from Europe and other destinations to transit through airports in the Gulf, including Dubai.

Yahya Ustun, Turkish Airlines’ Senior Vice President for Media Relations, announced on X that flights to Sulaimani will soon resume. “As the national airline, we take pride in representing Turkey in skies across the world,” he said. “Our Sulaimani service, operating daily, will help strengthen trade, culture, and tourism ties between Iraq and Turkey.”

Authorities in the Kurdistan Region welcomed the move, calling it a sign of progress in bilateral relations.

A statement issued by regional officials said the decision “reflects the positive and cooperative framework” between Erbil and Ankara and will benefit residents of Sulaimani and the wider region.

Turkey has long accused local leaders in Sulaimani of having close ties with the PKK, which is banned in Turkey. It is not the first time Ankara has taken punitive action against the province.

Following the 2017 Barzani’s controversial Kurdish independence referendum, Iraq’s central government closed the skies to both Erbil and Sulaimani airports. While most countries reopened airspace to Erbil in early 2018, Turkey kept restrictions on Sulaimani, citing security concerns.

The PKK formally announced its disbandment in May this year, ending decades of armed conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people. The group’s decision followed an appeal from its imprisoned founder, Abdullah Ocalan, for a political solution to the Kurdish question. In a symbolic ceremony held in eastern Sulaimani province in July, PKK fighters publicly burned their weapons.

In another development, Baghdad recently approved a proposal to rename the Sulaimani airport after Jalal Talabani, the late Iraqi president and Kurdish political leader.

Erdogan’s decision to reopen the airspace comes shortly after Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani visited Ankara for talks with Turkish leaders.

Barzani met with Erdogan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to discuss political, security, and economic cooperation, according to official statements. Kurdish outlet Rudaw reported that Barzani personally requested the lifting of the ban, though this could not be independently confirmed.

Political analysts view the move as a possible attempt by Barzani to reduce friction between his Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), which holds sway in Sulaimani. The Kurdistan Region has faced a political deadlock for more than a year, with no functioning parliament or unified government in place.

Economic losses caused by the ban have been substantial. Ata Anwar, who heads the Association of Tourism Agencies in Sulaimani, told Channel8 that nearly 200 travel companies depend on Turkish flights. He estimated losses exceeding one million dollars monthly due to canceled routes.

The Turkish Civil Aviation Authority had extended the ban multiple times since 2023. The reopening of airspace is expected to revive Sulaimani’s tourism and business sectors, restoring an important link between the Kurdistan Region and Turkey.

Turkey will reopen its airspace to flights bound for Sulaimani International Airport and resume direct air service to the city starting November 3, 2025 the airport’s acting chief announced on October 15, 2025.

Rebaz Mohamed, acting CEO of Sulaimani International Airport, said operations will restart with five flights per week, with plans to expand to daily flights in the near future.

(With files from Agencies)