Iraq imposes flight ban on Kurdish region after poll

International Desk: A ban on international flights into Iraq's Kurdish region has gone into effect after the central government in Baghdad retaliated against a vote for secession that has also drawn opposition from neighbouring countries.

Iraq's Kurds overwhelmingly backed a split from Baghdad in a referendum on Monday, defying foreign powers which fear the vote could lead to regional instability.

The ban came into force at 6pm (15:00 GMT) on Friday. Foreign airlines suspended flights to the region's Erbil and Sulaimaniya, obeying a notice from the government in Baghdad, which controls Iraqi air space.

Domestic flights are still allowed, so travellers are expected to travel to Kurdistan mostly via Baghdad's airport, which will come under strain from the extra traffic.

Erbil airport was busier than usual on Friday as passengers scrambled to catch the last flights out.

The office of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Friday that demands for the handover of Kurdistan's air and land outlets were designed to regulating the movement of people and goods, and preventing smuggling.

"The central government's control over these facilities are not aimed at starving the territory's people as some Kurdistan official claim," Abadi's office added in a statement.

Dozens of Kurdistan's people Friday gathered outside the Erbil airport in protest against the ban. Some demonstrators waved the territory's flag.

Maintaining the travel curbs is likely to discourage visits by businessmen and Kurdish expatriates and affect a host of industries, including hotels, financial services, transport and real estate.

More than 400 Kurdish travel and tourism companies are directly affected by the flight ban and 7,000 are jobs at risk in the sector, Erbil-based Rudaw TV said.

Turkey, which has already threatened economic sanctions and a military response to any security challenges posed by the referendum result in neighbouring northern Iraq, has maintained a drumbeat of opposition to the Kurdish vote.

Source: Agencies



risingbd/Sept 30, 2017/mukul