
President Barzani commends Turkiye's land route support
Shafaq News/ On Monday, Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani thanked Turkiye for facilitating land access to Erbil.
Barzani met with Turkish Consul General Airman Topcu in Erbil, where both sides reviewed bilateral ties and regional developments, according to a statement from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
Barzani expressed appreciation for Turkiye's assistance in facilitating overland travel, following Ankara's continued suspension of flights to al-Sulaymaniyah, which was first imposed in April 2023 over alleged PKK activity at the airport.
The extended ban has affected economic and civilian mobility in the PUK-controlled province and drawn criticism from officials there, who argue the measure disproportionately targets the region.
Turkiye is the KRI's primary trade partner, with the Ibrahim Khalil border crossing near Zakho serving as a critical hub for commercial and civilian transit. While air traffic remains restricted to parts of the region, land routes through Erbil have helped mitigate the impact.
Barzani and Topcu also discussed strengthening cooperation in economic, political, and security domains, emphasizing the need for continued coordination to maintain border stability.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Shafaq News
an hour ago
- Shafaq News
Sirens sound in US Consulate and base in Erbil
Shafaq News/ Sirens were activated on Monday evening at both the US Consulate in Erbil and the American military base inside Erbil International Airport, a local source told Shafaq News Agency. He did not provide further details. Earlier in the evening, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that it had targeted the US base in Qatar with ballistic missiles in retaliation for recent American airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites.


Shafaq News
an hour ago
- Shafaq News
Oil drops 6% as Iran targets US military base in retaliation
Shafaq News/ Oil prices tumbled $5 a barrel, or over 6%, on Monday after Iran attacked a U.S. military base in Qatar in retaliation for U.S. attacks on its nuclear facilities at the weekend, and took no action to disrupt oil and gas tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude futures were down $4.90, or 6.3%, at $72.19 a barrel by 2:13 p.m. ET (1813 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) eased $4.60, or 6.2%, to $69.23.


Shafaq News
an hour ago
- Shafaq News
Iran: Strike on US base in Qatar does not target Doha
Shafaq News/ In the wake of a missile strike on the US Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Iran's Supreme National Security Council emphasized on Monday that the operation was strictly directed at American military forces and not intended as a threat to the Qatari state or people. In an official statement, the council described the attack as a proportional response to the recent US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, which Tehran views as a 'blatant act of aggression.' It stressed that the missile strike deliberately targeted the American base at a safe distance from Qatari civilian areas and infrastructure. The statement also confirmed that Iranian armed forces launched the strike using the same number of missiles as the bombs deployed by the US in its earlier assault on Iranian nuclear sites. 'This action carries no threat against the brotherly and friendly State of Qatar or its noble people,' the statement said, reaffirming that Iran remains committed to its 'historic and cordial relations' with Doha. Iran's messaging comes amid a wave of regional and international condemnation following the missile strike on Al Udeid — the largest US military installation in the Middle East — which was carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). While Qatar confirmed that its air defenses intercepted the missiles and reported no casualties, it condemned the attack as a violation of its sovereignty and reserved the right to respond.