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How to go to Northern Iraq from Turkey over land
If you are planning to go to northern Iraq from Turkey by land, You need to go to Diyarbakir first.
There are several flights from Istanbul and Ankara to Diyarbakir everyday. You can check those
airlines websites for flights information.
Turkish airlines
Onurair
Pegassus Airlines
Everyday a bus leave at 9:00 am from Diyarbakir to Cizre. Once you arrived in Cizre bus station,
you can get another bus from there to Silopi and get a taxi from Silopi or you can get a taxi from
Cizre to the border. Taxi rate is the same from Cizre and from Silopi to the border. Taxi is only
choice to go to the border from Silopi. Taxi cost 60 liras (around 45 US dollars) or 15 liras per
person if you share taxi with other passengers. Taxi will take you to the Iraqi side of the border
and from there you can get a taxi to Erbil or wherever you want to go.
Taxi driver will help you for the passport check and other paper work and you can pay him once
you arrived in Iraq side where the taxi station is. It is not possible to cross the border by foot.
There is only a bridge to cross to go the other side but the passengers are not allowed to walk to
cross the bridge. You only can go by car.
By bus Diyarbakir-Cizre takes around 4 hours and Cizre-Silopi takes around 30 minutes. From
Silopi to the border it takes around 10 minutes.
By Taxi Diyarbakir-Silopi (Turkey-Iraq Border) Takes around 4 hours.
ON the way from the border to Erbil, after Duhok in Mafraq-Shekhe there is a cross road, one
road goes to the right and one goes straight. Both of those two roads goes to Erbil.
One road is around 20 minutes or so shorter than other road. The longer road (goes from
Berderesh) is safer than the shorter one (goes from Bashiqa) because the shorter road get out
of Kurdish government controlled area near Musul and go through some Arab villages. It is ok
driving from that road during the day but definitely not safe in the night. If you don't want to go
from that road make sure that you tell driver that you want to go from Berderesh not from
Bashiqa, the road goes from Arab villages goes from Bashiqa.
From Erbil to Sulemani, there are also two roads and one goes over Dukan and other one over
Kirkuk. The road goes over Kirkuk is around half an hour shorter but the road goes over Dukan is
safer.
If you are planning to go to northern Iraq from Turkey by land, You need to go to Diyarbakir first.
There are several flights from Istanbul and Ankara to Diyarbakir everyday. You can check those
airlines websites for flights information.
Turkish airlines
Onurair
Pegassus Airlines
Everyday a bus leave at 9:00 am from Diyarbakir to Cizre. Once you arrived in Cizre bus station,
you can get another bus from there to Silopi and get a taxi from Silopi or you can get a taxi from
Cizre to the border. Taxi rate is the same from Cizre and from Silopi to the border. Taxi is only
choice to go to the border from Silopi. Taxi cost 60 liras (around 45 US dollars) or 15 liras per
person if you share taxi with other passengers. Taxi will take you to the Iraqi side of the border
and from there you can get a taxi to Erbil or wherever you want to go.
Taxi driver will help you for the passport check and other paper work and you can pay him once
you arrived in Iraq side where the taxi station is. It is not possible to cross the border by foot.
There is only a bridge to cross to go the other side but the passengers are not allowed to walk to
cross the bridge. You only can go by car.
By bus Diyarbakir-Cizre takes around 4 hours and Cizre-Silopi takes around 30 minutes. From
Silopi to the border it takes around 10 minutes.
By Taxi Diyarbakir-Silopi (Turkey-Iraq Border) Takes around 4 hours.
ON the way from the border to Erbil, after Duhok in Mafraq-Shekhe there is a cross road, one
road goes to the right and one goes straight. Both of those two roads goes to Erbil.
One road is around 20 minutes or so shorter than other road. The longer road (goes from
Berderesh) is safer than the shorter one (goes from Bashiqa) because the shorter road get out
of Kurdish government controlled area near Musul and go through some Arab villages. It is ok
driving from that road during the day but definitely not safe in the night. If you don't want to go
from that road make sure that you tell driver that you want to go from Berderesh not from
Bashiqa, the road goes from Arab villages goes from Bashiqa.
From Erbil to Sulemani, there are also two roads and one goes over Dukan and other one over
Kirkuk. The road goes over Kirkuk is around half an hour shorter but the road goes over Dukan is
safer.
Filming in Northern Iraq
You need to get permission from regional Kurdish government to film in Northern Iraq.
Permission are given by Public relation office of Kurdish democratic party and also Erbil police
(asayish) have to stamp the permission.
You need to get permission from regional Kurdish government to film in Northern Iraq.
Permission are given by Public relation office of Kurdish democratic party and also Erbil police
(asayish) have to stamp the permission.
Northern Iraq
Diyarbakir Media
Fixing and translating services for news stories and documentary
films in Turkey and Information about east and Southeastern Turkey
Fixing and translating services for news stories and documentary
films in Turkey and Information about east and Southeastern Turkey
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Useful links
The other Iraq
Kurdish regional government
The other Iraq
Kurdish regional government
| If you are planning to go to Northern Iraq by land from Turkey and think that you may need someone to take you there, I will be happy just to take you to Northern Iraq or take you there and work with you over there. I also can help you to get filming or journalist permission in northern Iraq. Please don't hesitate to contact me for more information. Memet Aksakal memet@diyarmedia.com |