Turkiye has banned the flights of foreign airlines to Erbil and Sulaimani in the direction of the Iraqi central government's decision on 29 September 2017.

Following the decisions of central government that removed flight obstacles to the Kurdistan region, Turkiye has also opened its airspace to Erbil International Airport.

After six months of the ban, the first direct flight was made from Istanbul to Erbil.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said in a statement he made last Friday, "We are opening our airspace today, and commercial flights for civil purposes will be possible from now on."

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi also said on March 13 that the foreign flight ban applied to Erbil and Sulaimani airports was lifted.

The Iraqi central government has banned international air flights at Erbil and Sulaimani airports, citing the Kurdistan Region's independence referendum.

During the ban period, passengers could come to Turkiye's Mardin or Şırnak and then to Iraq by land route travel for 15 hours.

ILKHA