Turkiye reopens skies to Sulaimani after extended closure

Shafaq News – Al-Sulaymaniyah

Turkiye reopened airspace to civilian flights bound for Sulaimani International Airport, the airport’s Public Relations Department announced on Wednesday.

According to the statement, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in Turkiye (DGCA) lifted the NOTAM — the international aviation notice restricting access to Sulaimani — from its global electronic system on October 15, 2025.

Last week, Turkish authorities extended the suspension of flights and airspace access between Turkiye and Sulaimani International Airport until January 6, 2026. Ankara’s Foreign Ministry previously justified the measure by citing what it called the “infiltration” of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) at the airport.

Turkiye first imposed the airspace ban in April 2023, a decision that officials in Al-Sulaymaniyah said resulted in millions of dollars in financial losses and severely disrupted travel and trade routes.