An airport in northern Iraq that is managed by the Kurds has been shut down by Turkiye, a senior Turkish official revealed on Wednesday. He cited an alleged rise in terrorist activity by the Kurds as a danger to aircraft safety.
According to Tanju Bilgic, a spokesman for the foreign ministry, aircraft departing from and arriving at Suleimaniyah International Airport in the semi-autonomous Kurdish area of northern Iraq are no longer permitted to enter Turkish airspace as of Tuesday.
In a written statement, Bilgic claimed that the closure was a result of the PKK's purported "infiltration" into the airport as well as a rise in its activities in Suleimaniyah.
The choice was made a few weeks after Kurdish rebels aboard two helicopters that fell in northern Iraq. The event increased PKK helicopter ownership rumors, which infuriated Turkish officials.
Later, the primary US-backed and Kurdish-led force in northeastern Syria claimed that the accident, which happened in poor conditions while travelling to Suleimaniyah, cost the lives of nine fighters, including a leader. According to the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, the nine slain included special fighters who were in Iraq as part of a "exchange of expertise" in the battle against the Daesh organisation.
Since the 1980s, the PKK has been fighting for independence in Turkiye, and it is regarded as a terrorist organisation by Ankara, the US, and the EU. Its militants have created safe havens in northern Iraq, where Turkiye tribesmen regularly assault them.
The SDF's mainstay armed Syrian Kurdish group is regarded by Turkiye as a criminal organisation. However, the US makes a distinction between the PKK and SDF and does not view the SDF as a terrorist organisation.
According to Bilgic, until July 3, Turkish skies will be off-limits while Turkish officials assess the security situation.