Bashdar Hassan: They did not allow us to support Sulaymaniyah in Erbil

Kurdistan 01:48 PM - 2023-04-09

Erbil Citadel.

Erbil security forces prevented protests against the bombing of Sulaymaniyah International Airport.
 
They closed the office of the Kurdistan National Congress (KNC) in Erbil and prevented journalists from covering the situation and according to a lawyer, there is "deep security coordination between Erbil and Ankara."
 
Lawyer Bashdar Hassan, the Human Rights Defenders Award winner, told PUKMEDIA: "The security forces in Erbil blocked us from the meeting today at the KNC office in Erbil to publish a statement of protest against the Turkish bombing of the Sulaymaniyah International Airport."

There is political coordination between Ankara and Erbil

"Before the bombing, Turkey suspended flights between Sulaymaniyah and Turkey, which clearly indicates the depth of relations, security, and political coordination between Ankara and Erbil," lawyer Hassan said.

Security forces close the KNC office in Erbil

A PUKMEDIA reporter in Erbil said that a meeting was scheduled for 11:00 p.m. today at the KNC office in Erbil. However, security forces surrounded and closed the KNC office before the press conference began. They also barred anyone from entering or leaving the headquarters and prevented the press conference.

Erbil security forces prevent journalists from covering

According to our correspondent in Erbil, the security forces are preventing journalists from covering the situation.
 
On April 5, 2023, the Turkish Foreign Ministry suspended flights at Sulaymaniyah International Airport and prohibited European flights to Sulaymaniyah Airport from passing through its airspace. Turkey did not stop there; on Friday, April 7, using a drone, it attacked Sulaymaniyah International Airport, which brought many local and foreign reactions.



PUKMEDIA