Dutch PM asks Iraqi PM to lift international flight ban on Erbil airport

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The Prime Minister of Netherlands Mark Rutte said on Friday that his country is trying to influence Baghdad to lift international flight ban on the Kurdistan Region airports.

Responding to Kurdistan 24 correspondent's question during a press conference in Brussels, Rutte stated that on Wednesday, he met with the Prime Minister of Iraq Haider al-Abadi in Paris during the climate summit, discussing the fight against the Islamic State (IS).

Netherlands is one of the members of the US-led coalition against the IS. Their military advisers have trained Peshmerga and Iraqi forces in the past few years.

Rutte also mentioned that the Dutch Parliament is currently debating extending their military support in Iraq and Syria against the IS for another year.

Commenting on the Erbil-Baghdad tensions, the Dutch Premier said, “It is an internal Iraqi question because it is one country in our view.”

“One thing I discussed with the Prime Minister is the necessity of the airport in Erbil to be opened, to be used for our military gear… We do try to influence, be influential in opening up the international airports in northern Iraq, particularly in Erbil,” Rutte added.

The Federal Government of Iraq has banned the international flights from and to both Erbil and Sulaimani airports in the Kurdistan Region since Sep. 29. The ban came as a collective punitive measure against the Kurdistan Region in retaliation for the referendum on independence held on Sep. 25 in the region which won an overwhelming majority of ‘Yes’ vote.

Ties between both Erbil and Baghdad have considerably deteriorated since the independence vote. Both sides have called for dialogue to resolve their disputes peacefully, but no talks have taken place yet.­­­

Editing by Sam A.