Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that the flight ban on Sulaimani International Airport will remain in effect as long as the local administration refuses to sever ties with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

During a press conference on his return from a NATO summit in Washington, Erdogan reiterated Turkey’s stance, stating, "I said during my visit to Erbil that unless the Sulaimani administration distances itself from the PKK, there will be no change in our attitude towards Sulaimani. The embargo on the airspace will continue.”

Erdogan emphasized that Ankara has consistently communicated with the Sulaimani administration, led by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), urging them to take decisive action against the PKK. “The ball is in their court now,” he concluded.

The flight ban, initially imposed last year, was extended for a third time in June, adding another six months to the restriction. The Turkish foreign ministry had previously justified the ban by citing an alleged increase in PKK activities in Sulaimani province, specifically referencing the crash of two helicopters carrying Syrian Kurdish fighters in March. Nine members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), including their commander, were killed in the incident. Turkey claims the SDF is linked to the PKK.

Turkish officials have consistently accused Sulaimani authorities of supporting the PKK. This flight ban is part of a broader set of punitive measures taken by Ankara against the province. Turkey also regularly conducts air and drone strikes targeting PKK positions in the region.

Addressing these issues at a regional forum in Erbil last October, PUK leader Bafel Talabani acknowledged the difficulties in resolving his party’s disputes with Turkey, describing them as “hard to resolve.”