ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The Turkish government will allow non-commercial traffic through the Ibrahim Khalil border crossing with the Kurdistan Region this week after more than three months of closure due to the spread of COVID-19, said Turkish trade minister on Wednesday. The minister did not mention who would be allowed through the border, or on what day it would be reopened. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is yet to announce whether it will be allowing traffic through on its side. Ankara confirmed the first case of the novel coronavirus in Turkey on March 11 but closed its border for passengers and vehicles traffic with the Kurdistan Region on March 1, when the virus was initially identified in the Region. However, “contactless” trade between Ankara and Erbil has continued, where containers, trailers and drivers have been exchanged at the buffer zone between the Turkish side of the border, Habur, and the Kurdish side of the border, Ibrahim Khalil. “I bring you good tidings today,” said Turkish trade minister Ruhsar Pekcan in an interview with state-owned media agency TRT Haber on Wednesday. “Only our Habur and Gurbulak border crossings remain closed. Inshallah, we are going to reopen both this week.” Gurbulak is the most important border crossing between Turkey and Iran. Ibrahim Khalil is the only border crossing between Turkey and the Kurdistan Region used for trade. Another crossing near Barzan, used for non-commercial traffic, has been closed due to the pandemic. Baghdad also relies on Ibrahim Khalil for trade with Turkey. The trade between both countries amounts to around $10 billion, and both Turkey and Iraq have expressed readiness to double it. The decision to reopen comes amid a dramatic decrease of coronavirus cases in Turkey as it steps towards a “new normal” as termed by Turkish officials. Meanwhile, Iraq recorded its highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths recorded in a single day since the onset of the pandemic, confirming 8,168 cases and 256 deaths so far. Of this, 851 cases and 14 deaths have been recorded in the Kurdistan Region. Ankara has recorded 166,422 cases of COVID-19 and 4,609 deaths so far, according to data shared by the Turkish health ministry.
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