Direct flights between Erbil and Turkey’s Diyarbakir that have been halted since 2019 will resume soon, the head of the Diyarbakir Chamber of Commerce told Rudaw.
Mohammed Kaya told Rudaw's Hevidar Zanathat while no date has been set, they expect that when flights do resume, some of the issues that led to the suspension will be resolved, including a more suitable flight schedule and a more straight forward visa process for business people and their family members.
Diyarbakir, known to Kurds as Amed, is a city in Turkey’s Kurdish majority southeast. Direct flights between it and Erbil began in 2016 with three scheduled flights a week. Turkey halted all flights from its airports to the Kurdistan Region on October 16, 2017, following the Kurdistan Region’s independence referendum. Although flights between the two countries resumed the following year, those between Diyarbakir and Erbil remained suspended until 2019. The flights stopped again during the Covid pandemic in 2020 and have not resumed.
Kaya also called on the Kurdistan Region and Turkey to expand the Khabur-Ibrahim Khalil border gate, the only one that can accommodate the transit of goods and trade. He called for opening a new crossing that does not “neglect” the Kurdistan Region. Iraq is planning a development road stretching from its southern port to its border with Turkey. The current plan bypasses the Kurdistan Region.
Trade volume between Turkey and Iraq stands at $14 billion, but Kaya believes with more cooperation it could reach as high as $50 billion.
Rudaw: After much effort, the decision has been taken to resume direct flights between Erbil and Amed [Diyarbakir]. Of course, you personally have been working for this to happen for a long time. I wonder if a date has been set?
Mohammed Kaya: No date has been set yet, but during our meeting [with Turkey’s Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz], he informed us that it will resume soon.
You had a private meeting with the vice president? What did Cevdet Yilmaz promise you?
You know that Mr. Cevdet Yılmaz is the vice president and head of the economic desk. He is the second figure in Turkey and is very familiar with the region. He was previously a parliamentarian from Diyarbakir constituency and a former minister in the cabinet. We will have a very easy conversation with him. He also knows that 55% of Amed's total exports go to the Kurdistan Region and most of our businessmen have investments in the Kurdistan Region. In addition, he is well aware that Kurdish businessmen who come to work in Diyarbakir and this region, especially for health tourism, constantly have problems and he has been closely monitoring the situation.
Thankfully, he always listens to problems and obstacles and today, when he visited Diyarbakir, he gave us the good news that he will solve all the problems. We will visit Mr. Cevdet again soon and the topic of our meeting will be flights between Erbil and Diyarbakir and together we will discuss the mechanism of increasing the volume of trade and exports with the Kurdistan Region.
These flights were operating before. What was the reason for their cancellation?
Of course they resumed in March 2019, but unfortunately they did not continue. There were several specific reasons and it is our duty to monitor the reasons carefully, so that they do not become obstacles again. The first reason was the flight schedule - it was not suitable for our businessmen nor for the businessmen of the Kurdistan Region. The flight time was not right.
The second reason, such flights should be supported, in other words, the aircraft that fly between Erbil and Diyarbakir should be aircraft that can fly domestically and internationally. In order to accommodate the businessmen of the Kurdistan Region when they use the aircraft, they can travel from Erbil to Diyarbakir, and then Ankara, Istanbul and Germany. If that is not conducted in this manner, we will always face problems.
The third reason, it's the visa issue. When a businessman from Erbil and the Kurdistan Region wants to go to a hospital in Diyarbakir, he must be facilitated at the border crossings and expedited visas must be issued to him and his family members. The visa application process should not be lengthy and tedious.
The fourth reason, it concerns transportation. There should be a lot of facilities for transportation to Erbil and vice versa, including air cargo, so that traders on both sides will be satisfied and will not think of alternative routes.
All these issues had been ignored in previous flights, which caused concern among businesses and led to the cancellation of flights. I am not referring to political developments here. Relations were at a bad level recently due to the referendum, but now they are at a very good stage and relations are at a very good level. Both sides are visiting each other, which is a pleasure for us. This good relationship must be exploited to address the factors that have hindered our business.
If all these issues are addressed, air travel will certainly resume and continue without cancellation. We, as the Diyarbakır Chamber of Commerce and Industry, declare our full support for the continuation of flights and will do anything that can be done to improve direct flights. If direct flights between Erbil and Diyarbakir continue, we will achieve our trade goals and reach the top and expand the scope of our trade transactions.
Turkish visas are more expensive for the people of Kurdistan than Schengen visas. What efforts have you made to resolve the visa issue?
In fact, after this meeting, our first step will be in that direction. We had discussed this issue earlier with our foreign minister. Today, citizens of the Balkan countries travel through the border crossings of Edirne and Tekirdag in an organized and easy manner. The same facilities should be provided with our brotherly and friendly countries, Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, so that traffic can be organized.
We will soon request a private meeting with our foreign minister and discuss with him face-to-face the visa issue. I will explain the importance of visa facilitation for the Kurdistan Region and tell him that Erbil is a very suitable city in every way to establish a strong relationship with Diyarbakir. People in Erbil prefer to visit hospitals in Diyarbakir to treat their patients, rather than Ankara and Istanbul. They speak a common language, understand each other, and have a common environment. For business purposes, they also visit Diyarbakir without any problems and work with Diyarbakir businessmen. Therefore, it is very important to resolve the visa issue as soon as possible.
We also know that there are problems obtaining ordinary visas and medical visas and it is a very difficult and lengthy process. We also have a lot of evidence of the length of delays in issuing visas. I will present all the documents to the minister of foreign affairs and ask him directly to solve this problem. If we solve these problems, we can also end the problem of air travel and revive and sustain direct flights. Meanwhile, the volume of our trade and exports will increase.
Are your efforts to abolish visas or to bring down the visa cost?
The visa issue is very important. If visas are abolished and a very easy procedure is established, it will be very good for both of us. If we visit the Kurdistan Region without visas, we can also allow Kurdistan Regional Government businessmen to come to Diyarbakir without visas. It is true that this is difficult at this time due to the immigration and refugee problems in the European Union, but at least, as you mentioned, the issuance of visas should be cheap and easy.
In the past, visas were issued to citizens at border crossings very quickly and easily with very low fees. This issue can be resolved by a joint agreement between the two countries. But what we are trying to do now is to take a different approach to getting visas cheaper and easier.
What is the volume of trade between Erbil and Amed? To what extent does the opening of air travel improve business and trade?
Look, we have two types of trade with Erbil and the Kurdistan Region. First, there are direct exports. Diyarbakir export figures for December have been released. Although our overall exports decreased by 20% during this period, our trade volume with Iraq in general and the Kurdistan Region in particular increased. Fifty-five percent of Diyarbakir's total exports go to the Kurdistan Region. Consequently, these figures tell us that Iraq and the Kurdistan Region are the first targets for Diyarbakir's foreign trade and we need to increase this figure. I am sure we can increase it.
Second, when we look at the Erbil market, most of the famous brands of Turkey and Diyarbakir can be seen in Erbil. These companies have branches in Erbil and do a very good job. If you stop the Kurdistan Region's trade at Khabur gate for five or 10 hours and our trade at Ibrahim Khalil gate for five hours or 10 hours, and meanwhile make trade exchange at the border far more difficult, our trade will never expand and grow. Unfortunately, we have one gate and we have to travel only through it. Although we show a lot of goodwill, we cannot overcome this bad situation.
Therefore, air cargo paves the way for economic growth and for our merchants to open more branches for companies and their warehouses and expand the scope of their business activities. Easing commuting will pave the way for economic development.
Let me give you another example. A businessman from Diyarbakir has to go to Istanbul to visit Erbil, stay there overnight and arrive in Erbil at midnight the next day. He does the same for the return trip and spends three days alone on the road. However, if the direct flight between Erbil and Diyarbakir is resumed, traffic will be much easier and both sides will be more comfortable.
The Rubarok gate in Jolmerg has been opened only for tourists. If more attention is paid to this gate in the future, will it not ease traffic at Khabur gate?
Increasing the number of gates alone will not solve the problem. Both countries have special transportation plans. If trade exchanges are not aligned with the exchange plan between the two countries, trade will certainly not grow by increasing the number of border gates alone. This could be improved for the border areas between the two sides, but it would not benefit the overall trade between the two countries. What is important is that both countries open a new gate according to their joint plan. It is very difficult to open a border gate in Hakkari and try to regulate the movement of trucks. This is very difficult at this stage because the prices of things will increase here and this will damage goods. Therefore, citizens and businessmen pay great attention to the border crossings that directly connect them to Zakho, Duhok and the areas they want and vice versa. However, a gateway that deprives you of all these services will not benefit you and will only benefit the border areas. If there is an intention to increase the number of border crossings, officials from both sides should agree to open a new border crossing near Khabur-Ibrahim Khalil to reduce congestion at Khabur-Ibrahim Khalil.
Is it better to expand the Khabur gate or open a new one near Khabur?
The Khabur gate must be expanded. Our trade with Iraq is now an average of $14 billion. I have repeatedly insisted on this issue through Rudaw. I would like to reiterate that we are capable of increasing the volume of trade between us to $50 billion. The infrastructure in both countries is ideal to achieve this.
If we look at Turkey's imports from Iraq and vice versa, we can analyze them in detail. If the capacity to expand Khabur is not ensured, a new gate must be opened near Khabur. Now Khabur gate is the most suitable gate for our traders to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. Opening another new gate near Khabur is the best solution.
On the contrary, if goods are sent from Gaziantep, Mersin and Konya to Hakkari and then to the Kurdistan Region, it is a waste of time and strengthens the hands of Turkey’s competitors. As a result, we cannot export more goods to Kurdistan. Therefore, we always insist on opening a new gate near Khabur. It is better to open a gate near Khabur along with the expansion of Khabur gate.
The Kurdistan Region wants to expand the Khabur-Ibrahim Khalil gate, but the Turkish side intends to open an alternative gate and ignore the Kurdistan Region. Why doesn't Turkey want the expansion of Khabur gate?
Yes, it is true. We have said that Turkey's position after the referendum was not right. Political relations also did not reach the level everyone expected. If a new border crossing is opened between the two countries, both sides will benefit more. If we think that only one side will benefit and the other side will not benefit, we will never reach our goal.
Now there has recently been a solid move to get Chinese goods to Turkey and transport them all over the world, by opening a new land route. Before this road is completed, the Kurdistan Regional Government and Turkey must agree to open a common gateway and take advantage of this new road and benefit together. We have started private meetings and insist that a gate should never be opened that neglects the Kurdistan Regional Government, doing so is not right.
Now the trucks are passing from Khabur to Ibrahim Khalil and vice versa without any security problems and in a very organized manner. With this stable environment now available, why embark on a risky venture that will reflect badly and negatively on the current business situation as well? Traders do not work in an unstable environment and want to have a peace of mind when they export their goods. Therefore, both sides must agree on a new approach that is in the interest of both sides, otherwise it will be a mistake. This mistake has been made in the past and has harmed the economies of both sides.
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