Iraqi MPs: Türkiye’s Air Ban on Sulaymaniyah Violates International Law

Kurdistan 12:06 PM - 2025-01-08

Sulaymaniyah International Airport.

The Turkish government has decided to extend its air ban on Sulaymaniyah International Airport for another six months, despite a lack of legal or technical justification. The Parliamentary Transport and Communications Committee has confirmed that this decision is politically motivated.

 

A Political Decision

MP Zahra al-Bachari, Head of the Transport and Communications Committee, told PUKMEDIA: "The imposition of the air ban on Sulaymaniyah International Airport is a political decision. This is not the first time the airport has been targeted, but unfortunately, the federal government and the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) have not taken any action."  

She added: "If a plane heading to Erbil Airport encounters a malfunction or any other issue, God forbid, it could land at Sulaymaniyah, which is the nearest alternative airport. However, this current decision prevents any plane from landing at Sulaymaniyah, causing significant problems."

 

The Ministry of Transport Must Clarify 

MP al-Bachari continued: "The Minister of Transport, Bangin Rekani, who was appointed by the Federal Prime Minister to manage the ICAA, must clarify the reasons behind this decision."
  
She further stressed: "The ICAA, as a central federal body, must address the issue of the ban on Sulaymaniyah International Airport, as this not only harms Sulaymaniyah but also affects Iraq’s imports. Sulaymaniyah Airport is an Iraqi airport and falls under the authority of the ICAA."

 

The Ban Violates International Agreements

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) bloc in the Iraqi parliament issued a statement, which was shared with PUKMEDIA, calling the decision to extend the ban on Sulaymaniyah International Airport a political one. 
 
The PUK bloc claimed that this decision lacks any legal, technical, service, or security rationale and violates international conventions and principles governing civil aviation.

The statement expressed concern over the silence of both the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government, urging them to clarify their stance. It also called for an explanation of the steps taken over the past two years to address the issue, despite numerous parliamentary and governmental visits to Sulaymaniyah International Airport, all of which confirmed that the airport faced no security, service, or legal issues.



PUKMEDIA