ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Russia should avoid Kurdish airspace for air raids in Syria because they are disrupting operations at the Kurdistan region’s two airports, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said Wednesday.
It said in a statement that Russia should find alternate routes for jets and cruise missiles on targeting missions over Syria. That message also was conveyed to the Russian consul general in Erbil.
The KRG said in the statement that it “supports any operations against terrorists of the Islamic State, but they (cruise missiles) should not cause the suspension of flights from both Erbil and Sulaimani airports."
Russia should find other routes “to carry out its missions, than using the Kurdistan region’s airspace,” the statement added.
On Sunday, for the second time in less than a month, the Erbil and Sulaimani airports were forced to close for 48 hours because of Russian military activity in or around Kurdish airspace.
The KRG statement said that the suspension of flights in the landlocked autonomous Kurdistan region would add to multiple crises the Kurds are bearing, including the war with ISIS, a massive influx of refugees and budget problems caused by funds withheld by Baghdad.
"The suspension of flights will add another crisis to the region, and Baghdad will not compensate the KRG for this crisis,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, KRG Interior Minister Karim Sinjari met with Russian Consul General to Erbil Victor Simakov on Monday. He requested that Moscow avoid using Kurdish airspace for its operations.
Simakov promised to discuss the matter with the Russian government and said that currently there is no other way for Moscow to avoid Kurdish airspace.
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