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Turkey Partially Reopens Airspace to Flights from Kurdistan

Passengers at Erbil airport. (AFP)
Passengers at Erbil airport. (AFP)
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Turkey Partially Reopens Airspace to Flights from Kurdistan

Passengers at Erbil airport. (AFP)
Passengers at Erbil airport. (AFP)

Turkey announced on Friday that it was partially reopening its airspace to flights from Erbil in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, announced Prime Minister Binali Yildirim.

He said the airspace would be open to commercial and civilian flights to and from Erbil.

Flights from Sulaimaniya were not included in the plan, he told reporters in Ankara.

He cited security concerns stemming from alleged Kurdish rebel activity targeting Turkey from the Sulaimaniya region.

In October last year, Turkey closed its airspace to flights to and from Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region, in response to an independence referendum.

The vote was vehemently rejected by Baghdad, Turkey and Iraq's other neighbors, ratcheting up tensions in the region.

Earlier this month, Baghdad restored authority at airports in Kurdistan.

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Hezbollah Says Refuses to Disarm Until Israel Withdraws from South Lebanon

Hezbollah supporters listen to a televised speech by the movemen't leader Naim Qassem in Beirut's southern suburbs on July 6, 2025. (Photo by ANWAR AMRO / AFP)
Hezbollah supporters listen to a televised speech by the movemen't leader Naim Qassem in Beirut's southern suburbs on July 6, 2025. (Photo by ANWAR AMRO / AFP)
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Hezbollah Says Refuses to Disarm Until Israel Withdraws from South Lebanon

Hezbollah supporters listen to a televised speech by the movemen't leader Naim Qassem in Beirut's southern suburbs on July 6, 2025. (Photo by ANWAR AMRO / AFP)
Hezbollah supporters listen to a televised speech by the movemen't leader Naim Qassem in Beirut's southern suburbs on July 6, 2025. (Photo by ANWAR AMRO / AFP)

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem reiterated Sunday the group’s refusal to lay down its weapons before Israel withdraws from all of southern Lebanon and stops its airstrikes.

Qassem spoke in a video address as thousands gathered in Beirut’s southern suburbs to mark Ashoura.

Since the ceasefire with Hezbollah in November, Israel has continued to occupy five strategic border points in southern Lebanon and to carry out near-daily airstrikes.

“How can you expect us not to stand firm while the Israeli enemy continues its aggression, continues to occupy the five points, and continues to enter our territories and kill?” Qassem said in his video address. “We will not be part of legitimizing the occupation in Lebanon and the region. We will not accept normalization (with Israel).”

In response to those who ask why the group needs its missile arsenal, Qassem said: “How can we confront Israel when it attacks us if we didn’t have them? Who is preventing Israel from entering villages and landing and killing young people, women and children inside their homes unless there is a resistance with certain capabilities capable of minimal defense?”

His comments come ahead of an expected visit by US envoy Tom Barrack to Beirut to discuss a proposed plan for Hezbollah’s disarmament and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the rest of southern Lebanon.