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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.
Diyarbakir-Cizre takes around 4 hours by bus and Cizre-Silopi takes around 30 minutes. From Silopi to the border
it takes around 10 minutes.
You also can take taxi from Diyarbakir to the border and it cost around 150 dollars.
If you want to go to Erbil or Sulemani from the border, you either can get a taxi or share a taxi with other
passengers from Iraqi side of the border.
From the border to Erbil it takes around 4 hours and taxi cost 100 dollars US.
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.
Diyarbakir-Cizre takes around 4 hours by bus and Cizre-Silopi takes around 30 minutes. From Silopi to the border
it takes around 10 minutes.
You also can take taxi from Diyarbakir to the border and it cost around 150 dollars.
If you want to go to Erbil or Sulemani from the border, you either can get a taxi or share a taxi with other
passengers from Iraqi side of the border.
From the border to Erbil it takes around 4 hours and taxi cost 100 dollars US.
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 Mobil phone +90 533 334 77 96 |
| If you need a car or taxi from Diyarbakir to Iraq border, I can arrange it for you. You will be picked up from the airport and taken directly to the Iraq border in Silopi. Please don't hesitate to write to me for more information. Memet Aksakal memet@diyarmedia.com |
| Tour guide in Diyarbakir If you are planning to come to Diyarbakir and/or other cities in the southeastern Turkey and think that you may need someone local to show you around, please write to the email below. diyarbakirguide@yahoo.com |