2 hours agoTurkey opens air base in Iraq
Periskopi(8 years ago)
(8 years ago)Turkey has opened an air base in Arbil, in the semi-autonom capital of the Kurdistan Region Government in Iraq, has declared Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim. “We have closed airspace in northern Iraq because of the referendum. We have opened our airspace today,” told reporters in Ankara, Yildirim on 23 March. However, [...]
“We have closed airspace in northern Iraq because of the referendum. We have opened our airspace today,” told reporters in Ankara, Yildirim on 23 March.
However, air space will be closed for flights to Sulayaniyah for security reasons, he added.
An international flight ban was imposed on him late last year in response to an independence referendum conducted by the KR, reports “Hurriyet”, Periscopi broadcast.
The joint stance against the KR vote, which the Arbil administration was later forced to stop, was a historic moment in Turkey-Iraq relations, which had previously been strained.
Yildirim also said private flights are available from Turkey and Europe towards Arbil.
The decision came a week after Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abad said his country had lifted a ban on international flights to the KRR airports on March 13th.
The Kurdistan Airport region will be under the command of the Federal Interior Minister,”, said in a statement by al-Abad.
Turkey and the Iraqi government in Baghdad have officially begun military operations against what they call the “illegals” of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)./Periscopi/
