Turkey halts flights to 2 cities in Iraqi Kurdish region

Kurds celebrate to show their support for the independence referendum in Duhok Iraq

Christy Curtis | 30 September, 2017, 01:17

The non-binding referendum in the three provinces of Iraqi Kurdistan and some disputed areas was held in defiance of Baghdad, which declared it illegal, and despite worldwide objections. The report did not elaborate.

The cut in foreign air links is Baghdad's first retaliatory measure for Monday's 92 percent "yes" vote in the non-binding referendum for independence held by the KRG.

The Kurdish region's economy is highly dependent on imports from Turkey and Iran.

Hoshyar Zebari, who helped lead the referendum drive in the Kurdish region and was formerly Iraq's foreign minister, said that criticism of the vote from the United States had "emboldened Baghdad" to take a hard-line position toward the Kurds. On Wednesday Abadi told Iraqi lawmakers that he will "enforce the rule of the federal authority in the Kurdish region with the power of the constitution", while adding that he doesn't want "a fight between the Iraqi citizens". The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the plan.

Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey all have sizable Kurdish populations and have had to deal for years with Kurdish restiveness and calls for autonomy.

The Iraqi parliament even asked the government to send troops into the Kurdish areas.

- By Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad and Bradley Klapper in Washington D.C.

Kurdish forces have also availed themselves of the opportunity the war offered to gain or solidify control over northern territory claimed by both them and Baghdad.

MEA chairman Mohammed al-Hout confirmed "the suspension of all flights to and from Arbil from Friday, upon the request of the Iraqi aviation authorities for the halt of all global fights to and from the airport".

Bali volcano eruption could be 'hours' away as 75000 evacuate
Many Indonesians live close to volcanoes because the lava flows can make the surrounding land and soil fertile for farming. Ms Goh said she had a clear view of Mount Agung yesterday morning when she climbed Mount Batur, which is about 40km away.

Mr. Ali said the Kurds were hopeful that worldwide allies would eventually come around to the idea of Kurdish independence, and said they were heartened at some individual voices praising the referendum result.

Iraq's central government has ordered a halt to all global flights to and from the autonomous region from 6:00 pm (local time) on Friday after Iraqi Kurds overwhelmingly voted for independence.

The ban on global flights servicing airports in the Kurdish region is set to go into effect.

"We strongly condemn this disgusting action", she said. "An airport isn't an item that can be handed over to someone". Newspapers in Baghdad and hard-line elements within the central government latched on to the news of Israel's support, dubbing the Kurdish region "a second Zionist entity". Pre-approved humanitarian flights will be exempt.

Passengers flying to Arbil wait to check-in for their flight at Ataturk International airport in Istanbul yesterday. The ban was scheduled to kick in Friday evening.

At Irbil's airport, numerous passengers were foreigners who said they were traveling to avoid possibly being stuck once the flight ban goes into effect Friday.

Villar says he hopes he's able to return to finish his work.

Iraq, including the Kurdish region, was Turkey's third-largest export market in 2016, worth $8.6 billion.

Elon Musk gives update on Mars colonization plan at Australian conference

Terrifying footage shows North Korea nukes could DECIMATE entire region

Kim Jong Un wanted to 'horrify world' with bro's murder
Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy's marriage, which was often depicted with great admiration in US media at the time. North Korea has refused to accept the dead man was Kim Jong-un's half brother, suggesting instead he died of a heart attack.

29 September 2017

Hugh Hefner remembered by stars, pals, and Playboy Bunnies as a 'legend'
Tweed posted a photo on Instagram of a younger Hefner smoking a pipe, where she simply wrote that he changed the world. His magazine expanded to an enterprise that included clothing, a successful televesion series and more.

28 September 2017

Rowdy session at plenary as MPs throw chairs
On Tuesday, anti-government protests also occurred in other parts of the country, including in the northern town of Lira. Protestors have been tear gassed during demonstrations and a number of local journalists have been arrested.
29 September 2017

Mandatory dues for leftist politics in crosshairs
The arrangement was supposed to prevent non-members from "free riding", since the union has a legal duty to represent all workers. Rauner says his 2015 executive order prohibiting state-agency "fair share" collection set the Janus case in motion.

28 September 2017

Roy Moore: Trump Will Back Me Once He Knows Me
Former chief Trump strategist Steve Bannon introduced Moore at his victory party, saying a vote for Moore was a vote for Mr. In his victory speech, Moore said he supported President Donald Trump , even though the president had backed unusual .

28 September 2017

Vice president 'disappointed' Sen. Collins against Graham-Cassidy Bill
Senators Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy , authors of the bill , had offered to boost federal healthcare funds by 43% in Maine. Emerging from a closed-door meeting, senators were quick to confirm that no vote would take place on the Graham-Cassidy bill.
30 September 2017

Hemorrhage of Catalonia? What's Behind Its Upcoming Independence Referendum
Jordi Marti drives a taxi in Barcelona plastered with stickers supporting the vote. The unprecedented crackdown has enraged many in Catalonia .

29 September 2017

Prince George didn't want to go to school today: William
However, as Vanity Fair pointed out , William actually predicted George's lack of enthusiasm for school. The Prince William told the Telegraph that George told him that he's had enough training.

28 September 2017

Hillary Clinton Spent 600 Hours On Her Beauty Routine Last Year
She reflected on the 2016 election as an example of staying true to her "authentic self". She also added that she found her comments on women who voted for Trump "insightful".
29 September 2017

Mysterious dancing yeti crabs found by BBC filmmakers shooting Blue Planet II
Titled 'ocean (Bloom)' , the track features new vocals from Thom Yorke and was recorded alongside the BBC Concert Orchestra . The seven-part series took four years to complete, with filming taking place across 39 different countries.

27 September 2017

Saudi Arabia to allow women to drive
In fact, the majority of the members of the Council of Senior Scholars in the Kingdom agree that Islam does not ban women from driving.

27 September 2017

Gas Prices in Hartford Area Slip Following Jump After Hurricane Harvey
In the Warren-Youngstown area, the average cost of a gallon of regular gasoline was $2.38, according to national auto club AAA. However, compared to this time previous year , Florida drivers are paying 52 cents more for a gallon of gasoline.

Elon Musk gives update on Mars colonization plan at Australian conference Musk's hope is to land at least two cargo ships on Mars by then so they can suss out exactly what's going on there. A base on the moon , and regular travel by rocket, anywhere in the world, in less than an hour.

Terrifying footage shows North Korea nukes could DECIMATE entire region China opposes the deployment of THAAD because it believes its powerful radar could be used to look inside its territory. The ministry had issued similar rules after a previous set of United Nations sanctions in August.

France concerned over Iran's test-firing of ballistic missiles Last week during his maiden speech at the U.N., Trump blasted Iran and North Korea over their nuclear programs. Was Trump incorrect? It's hard to tell. "As far as we can see, it did not happen", the official said to CNN .

Delta will add free mobile messaging to some flights on October 1 Friess Assocs Limited Liability Co invested 1.37% of its portfolio in Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) or 614 shares. (NYSE:DAL). Barclays PLC initiated coverage on shares of Delta Air Lines in a report on Thursday, August 10th. (DAL)'s stock declined 5.91%.

Tom Cruise Says He Did Not Wear a Prosthetic Butt in Valkyrie Tom Cruise is an award-winning actor, producer, and, in the 2008 movie Valkyrie , a German army officer with a huuuuuuge butt. Awkward camera angle or not, we can all agree that Cruise has been working on his squats for years. "It's me.

Catalonia Referendum: Spanish Police Deployed to 'Neutralize' Polling Stations Whether that strategy will be seen as a critical step on the path toward independence, or a step back, only time will tell. Polls indicate that a vote for independence is by no means certain - the region is split equally in favor and against.

Top US general voices support for transgender troops She asked Dunford if he had had the chance to meet with any transgender troops since the ban was announced . The guidance left it up to the Defense Department to decide the fate of now serving transgender troops.

Supply of iPhone X estimated at just over 12 million units Another boost to Face ID security is a separate neural network specifically created to thwart spoofing attacks. Apps don't get access to facial scans or any of the data in the Secure Enclave.

Hillary Clinton doubts Trump knows Puerto Ricans are Americans Waivers must be based on whether or not the there are enough US ships to keep up with shipping needs, which DHS is saying there are.

Joey Barton favours Manchester United in title race due to "cold weather" Manchester United are now joint top of the Premier League table after having won five of their opening six games. His bright start is in contrast to last season when he struggled to adapt to the demands of English football.

NZ dollar under pressure as greenback pushes higher Trump has praised Yellen since taking office, saying he approves of the Fed's current low interest rates and respects the chair. Stocks opened higher and traded in positive territory for much of the day before running out of steam in the final hour.

Alstom shares surge on Siemens rail tie-up Jochen Eickholt, CEO of Siemens Mobility, will assume an important responsibility in the merged entity, the company said. The combined company will be called Siemens Alstom , and will merge only the rail operations of the two companies.

McConnell: Debate over nation's health care will continue Susan Collins , who announced her opposition Monday, joining three fellow GOP senators, essentially assured the proposal's defeat. Trump called into the "Rick & Bubba Show", a talk show based in Alabama, to discuss the state's Senate primary on Tuesday.

'Sunday Night Football' Ratings Down Again On Day Of Player Protests Other networks had to deal with National Football League games running longer than the time they were allotted on television. With all of the national anthem protests around the league, there was talk about how it could impact NFL TV ratings.

United Nations human rights office: Russian Federation violating int'l law in Crimea Some detainees were ill-treated, and at least three died after they did not receive the medical care they needed, the report says.

Turkey halts flights to 2 cities in Iraqi Kurdish region

Recommended