Iraqi Kurdish region flag flown at Istanbul's Atatürk Airport during Barzani visit

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) flag was raised at Istanbul's Atatürk Airport on Feb. 26 for the official visit of the leader of the autonomous Iraqi region.

The KRG flag, alongside the Iraqi and Turkish flags, was raised in front the state guest house within the airport after KRG President Massoud Barzani flew in to Istanbul to hold talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. 

Barzani is scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım on Feb. 27 in Ankara. 

He was welcomed by Turkish Foreign Ministry officials at the airport, after which he was taken to the guest house, where the KRG flag was being flown.  

"The visit was simultaneous with raising the flag of Kurdistan at the Istanbul airport," a statement from the KRG presidency said, according to Rudaw.net's English website.

After the Kurdish flag was raised at airports in Istanbul and Ankara for the visit of the Iraqi Kurdish leader, the flag was also flown in the meeting room for the gathering of Barzani and Yıldırım. But in a Feb. 26 meeting between the Iraqi Kurdish leader and Erdoğan, only a Turkish flag was present.

During the meeting between Erdoğan and Barzani, Turkish Energy Minister Berat Albayrak, National Intelligence Organization (MİT) head Hakan Fidan and Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet Yıldız were also present.

"During the meeting President Barzani and President Erdoğan spoke of the ongoing military operation against the terrorists of the Islamic State in the city of Mosul, where President Barzani reiterated his position of the importance of planning for the post-liberation of the city," a shortened English version of the statement from the KRG presidency said. 

The Iraqi forces launched an operation to...