Turkey closes airspace to Iraq's Kurdistan region

Turkey is closing its airspace to flights to and from Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag told reporters on Monday.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab

16 October, 2017

Bozdag said Iraqi military's operation against Kurds in Kirkuk was "too late" in coming [Anadolu]

Turkey is closing its airspace to flights to and from Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region, its Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag announced on Monday.

Ankara will also start procedures to hand over control of a border gate into the Kurdish region to the Iraqi central government in Baghdad, Bozdag told reporters following a weekly cabinet meeting.

The announcements came as Iraq's military forces escalated operations against Kurdish forces in attempt to seize control of the city of Kirkuk early on Monday.

Bozdag reaffirmed his country's support of the offensive, adding that it was "too late" in coming.

"There is an attack against Iraq's territorial integrity, against its sovereignty rights, its political unity and constitution," Bozdag said.

"We think this step designed to expel this attack is a very important one."

On Monday, Iraqi federal forces moved in to the disputed city of Kirkuk and seized oil fields and other infrastructure, forcing Kurdish forces to withdraw.

Turkey's foreign ministry said it was ready to help the Iraqi government oust Kurdish fighters from the disputed city.

Tensions have mounted since a controversial 25 September independence referendum - which irked Baghdad as well as neighbouring Turkey and Iran - which both have large Kurdish minorities.

Turkey has fiercely opposed the referendum and slammed it as null and void.

The PKK - which has waged an insurgency inside Turkey since 1984 - is listed as a terror group by Turkey and much of the international community, including the US.

"We are warning the (Kurdistan Regional Government) not to add to the grave mistakes it has made in recent times," the foreign ministry said.

"Those who help the PKK terror group... find safe haven in this region will be held responsible also by us."