Hikers charged with spying

Those American hikers arrested after apparently accidentally crossing the border into Iran from Iraqi Kurdistan (see my original post here) have now been charged with spying. Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal from the Bay Area in California were arrested in July. Hopefully these guys won't become pawns in the negotiations over Iranian nuclear energy aspirations. More from the BBC here, and for the latest run-down, check Google news.

tourists arrested after crossing to Iran illegally

Welcome to readers of AP/Yahoo News, who kindly linked to this website.

The story goes that a group of US backpackers hiking in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan.

From the article by Eric Talmadge:

"Still, in a region without a well-marked border, going off the beaten path in Kurdistan is very risky — as the three Americans discovered after they apparently wandered down the wrong side of a mountain last week and were taken into custody by Iranian border guards. Other than a frantic call to one of their friends, they haven't been heard from since.

The three — Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Joshua Fattal — were under arrest in Iran on Tuesday for illegally entering the country, and an Iranian lawmaker said that authorities were deciding whether to accuse them of spying. The U.S. State Department rejected the allegation, and relatives and Kurdish officials said they were merely hikers who got lost."

This reinforces the need for good sense when travelling in Iraq, even the relatively stable environment of Iraqi Kurdistan. going off the beaten track is risky anywhere, let alone a mountainous region with many areas with no physically marked border.

I hope that this situation does get resolved soon, and that Iran can see that this really is a few tourists who got lost. It would be a shame for the great progress Iraqi Kurdistan has made in recent years in the areas of tourism, foreign investment and economic development to be marred by this unfortunate and innocent mistake.

More articles:

Tehran Times: Three Americans straying into Iran under arrest:

"Iran has questioned reports that these people were some hikers who wandered across the border by mistake. "

NPR: Friends seek release of jailed hikers in Iran

Arrested hiker/backpacker/journalist Shane Bauer's good-looking website.

Canada's National Post: American Hikers Held in Iran

AP, hosted by Google: Arrest of US hikers mars Iraq tourism boom

For those who would like to learn more about travelling in Iraqi Kurdistan:

Please read the "about this site & disclaimer" page.

Learn how to get in and out.

Look at some of my city centre maps.

Read the frequently asked questions.

Follow our updates on twitter.

Have a look at the Iraq chapter in Lonely Planet's new Middle East guide, updated last year.

Keep in mind that some of this information is up to two years old. Facts change quickly in a place like Iraqi Kurdistan. Do your research before you make the decision to go.

For any enquiries, my email address is listed here.

Some news articles from last month:

The Dallas Morning News has an article on the first official tour group to visit Iraq's major historic sites since mid-2003. Hinterland Travel ran the tour:

Insurance, which is not provided by the company, is nearly impossible to come by. For that reason, the tourists tend to be on the older side because they have financial support networks and, Hann said, "because in the end you've been to places and you don't really worry as much, if you know what I mean."
Iraqi officials said they expect more tourists and Koa Van Chung, from New York City, agrees.
"Sure, there's military checkpoints, there's bureaucracy ... but in a few years this could be a viable tourist spot," he said.

Over 4,000 ancient artifacts have been dug up in the past two years on 19 ancient sites in Iraq:

The Iraq Museum has opened its doors to visitors but the pieces on show are only a fraction of what the museum had on display prior to U.S. invasion.

However, Taqani said more than 50,000 original museum pieces were still locked in secure areas.

Antiquities Department officials say they will have them displayed once conditions return to normal in the country.

AFP reports that Iraq plans to open a Saddam Hussein museum:

"We will look for a big building. I think one of the presidential palaces in Baghdad probably will be the place of the museum," said Talqani, noting that clothes, documents and various gifts given to Saddam by foreign leaders were among the possessions.

I'm not sure if the museum will be to remind people of the horrors of his rule (like the torture museum in Sulaymaniyah), or rather the so-called glories of it:

"They will be displayed for all the people of Iraq, future generations and visitors from of all over the world to admire."

Meanwhile the Christian community in Iraq is at risk of total decimation, the KRG is consolidating its separate parts, bombings are still going off in Baghdad here and there, and several gay Iraqi men have been killed recently after being disowned by family. And, I would guess, killed by the family to restore their honour.

And lastly the British Business Secretary Peter Mandelson led a delegation to Iraq to investigate investment opportunities.

Kirkuk & Mosul not exactly safe, Erbil powers up

Turkmen political party's Kirkuk office shot up (Hurriyet)'

Suicide bomb in Kirkuk (AP, Kurdish Globe)

Bombings kill 43 in Baghdad & Kirkuk (AP, Kurdish Globe)

Mosul is still freaking dangerous too, although it is claimed that terrorist attacks have been limited. (Reuters, Soma Digest)

But in much better news for Iraqi Kurdistan, Erbil is expected to have 24/7 electricity by the end of August, thanks to a new power plant financed by the Trade Bank of Iraq. (Kurdish Globe)

Historical Amedy (aka Amadiyya, Amadiyah, Amedi) city gets a write-up, in the face of social change. (Soma Digest)

World music day rocked Suly (Soma Digest), while apparently Erbil fashion is all about bling (Telegraph).

Meanwhile, a Kurdish expat in the US argues an absurdly protectionist line against foreign investment in Iraqi Kurdistan. (Kurdish Globe - opinion)

news

In another sign that Iraqi Kurdistan is open for business and tourism, clothing brand Mango will soon open a store in Erbil. Also, the Slemani (Sulaymaniyah) Museum is working to preserve Kurdistan's heritage.

Soma Digest interviews the Lonely Planet writer who recently visited Iraqi Kurdistan.

France has recently opened a consulate in Erbil as well.

There is still violence between the Turkish military and the PKK, with the most recent incidents being in Turkey's Sirnak province. Meanwhile, three German climbers were last week kidnapped by the PKK while climbing Mt Ararat.

An optimistic writer for the Kurdish Globe compares Sulaymaniyah with Los Angeles, while another article lauds the benefits to Kurdistan of the trade in second-hand clothing. And the region's pro-growth investment law is promoting more foreign investment in Kurdistan.

Lastly, author Andrew Collins has written a book about Kurdistan's role in the birth of civilization.

Safety update

There were reports on Thursday that Turkey was again massing troops near the Iraqi border, followed by a report today that they killed 15 PKK members in northern Iraq yesterday. Be sensible. And it would be wise to avoid any political demonstrations in Turkey's southeast. Apart from that, it seems that all is well in the main cities of Iraqi Kurdistan.

Meanwhile, in the rest of Iraq, there is some kind of civil war going on, with the Mehdi Army's ceasefire broken. There have been clashes between militias and Iraqi government forces in Basra, Baghdad (especially Sadr City), Kut, Karbala, Hilla and Diwaniyah.

Detailed reporting on violence is at Iraq War News Today.

In other news, Soma Digest has an interesting report on the challenges of getting the free market functioning in Iraqi Kurdistan, and insight into the Turkish businesses working there.

Turkey still shelling

Reports are out that despite pulling its troops out of Iraq, they are still shelling some remote mountain locations, the one mentioned being Dashti Barzji, in the mountains of Erbil province.

Border open, Turks going home?

I have it on good authority that the border between Silopi and Zakho is still open, despite the Turkish military action in the region.

Peshmerga are reporting that Turkish troops are beginning to pull out of northern Iraq, over the border and back into Turkey. This is despite the Turks saying on Wednesday that there was 'no timeframe' for withdrawal.

Meanwhile Iraqi Kurds, who a year ago were very pro-US, now seem to be disillusioned with the US's neutral stance on Turkey's incursion. I know that when I was there in February last year I saw many US flags for sale and on display, as well as framed pictures of George W. Bush and Tony Blair.

And a some Turkish thoughts on the 'Kurdish question'.

Today's news on Turkey's invasion

Today's war news from Iraq, including info on the Turkish army's actions against the PKK in the Qandil mountains.

Kurds dig in against invasion, says this Washington Post/Reuters article, including that a Turkish helicopter was shot down.

[The Qandil mountains are a] rugged and largely inaccessible swath of mountains along the border, an area inside Iraqi territory but uncontrolled by any nation...

"If Turkey comes farther than they are now, then 100 per cent we will stop them," said Major-General Hashim Sitae, a peshmerga commander in the northern city of Dahuk.

Is Kirkuk in the Turkish line of fire? asks Kurdish Aspect. I doubt it.

Turkey invades, border virtually closed

On Thursday February 21, Turkey's military sent ground forces across the border into Iraqi Kurdistan, with the aim of hunting and killing PKK militants. Please carefully consider any travel into the region and don't go anywhere stupid.

News today reports bombing 'around' the town of Amadiyah, which is a town in the mountains east of Dohuk, and just south of the Turkish border. There are also reports of fighting in the areas of Hakurk and Sidekan on the Iraqi side of the border across from the Turkish town of Cukurca.

It's reported that Turkish troops are patrolling towns near the border (eg. Cizre and Silopi), and that the Habur border gate (the one between Silopi and Zakho) is virtually closed to civilian traffic, since the Turkish military is being given priority. This is a very tense and sensitive situation and you should seriously reconsider even going into that region of Turkey right now.

Kurdistan Regional Government president Massoud Barzani is reported to have visited the area where the military operation was launched and "no order of clashes with the Turkish forces has been given to the peshmerges [KRG military]."

The Turkish army's ground incursion against separatist Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq is limited in scope, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday.

"The target, purpose, size and parameters of this operation are limited," Erdogan said in televised remarks, underlining that the incursion targeted only rebels of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party.

"Our armed forces will come back in the shortest time possible as soon as they achieve their objectives," he added.

"Several hundred, possibly a battalion of Turkish special forces, went in to pursue (rebels) in what they think is a PKK area," the official told Reuters.

The KRG has also condemned the invasion as a violation of Iraqi sovereignty and called for "immediate four-party talks between Washington, Ankara, Baghdad and Erbil" to discuss the issue of the PKK.

I understand that the fighting is restricted to the mountains (which are difficult to get into with the snow anyway) and that the major cities of Dohuk, Erbil and Sulaymaniyah are not affected. But it's still a difficult situation and you should exercise all caution if considering visiting the region in the near future.

safety in south-eastern Turkey

Travellers should exercise caution coming to Iraqi Kurdistan through Sirnak province in Turkey, the province the border town of Silopi is a part of. Stay on the bus going on the main roads to Silopi.

During September there was substantial violence between the Turkish military and the PKK, resulting in numerous deaths. Hakkari and Siirt provinces have also experienced substantial violence.

Also, Turkey has shelled villages on the Iraqi side of the border over the summer. It's probably not a good idea to visit those villages at risk of further shelling.

Source: this article from the New Anatolian, 5 October 2007.

safety

On Wednesday May 9, a truck bomb exploded in Erbil outside the KRG Interior Ministry building, next to the citadel. At least 19 people were killed with 100 injured. This just shows that Kurdistan is still not immune from the violence that affects the rest of Iraq. Please ensure you stay up to date on the security situation and be as safe as possible in the decisions you make in travelling to or within Iraqi Kurdistan.

Truck Bomb in Erbil

Getting around between cities

The main form of public transport between the major cities in Iraqi Kurdistan is shared taxi. Cars are generally white and orange sedans, some large, some quite small. Some newer, some older and beat-up. The roads between cities are not very safe for driving, with usually just one lane in each direction, and over-taking a dangerous activity. I witnessed one head-on collision.

Security:

Taxis seem to only travel on roads controlled by Kurdish forces. There are LOTS of security checkpoints, probably 10 or more on a 3 hour journey, usually before and after towns. You have nothing to fear at these checkpoints, in fact you should be grateful for them keeping Iraqi Kurdistan safe from terrorists. At some the soldier will just wave the taxi through, but at most ID will be checked. Have your passport ready. At some checkpoints, they'll want to check on foreigners more carefully, and you may end up being questioned by the head official. Just be honest and open and you should be fine. But, if they're suspicious of you, it helps to have a local Kurdish contact who can vouch for you.

Details:

Generally there is a normal price for one car, and this price is divided by the number of passengers. Usually you will end up waiting until enough passengers come to fill up all the seats.

In Dohuk, the taxi offices are next to the Hotel Birjin. In Erbil, get in a local taxi and ask for the "Suly Garage" if you're going to Sulaymaniyah. In Sulaymaniyah, "Erbil Garage" etc.

Zakho border - Dohuk: $45 per car, approx 1 hour.
Zakho border - Erbil: $90 per car, approx 4 hours.

Dohuk - Erbil: 20,000 dinar ($16) per person. 80,000 dinar per car. Approx 3 hours. The road goes close to Mosul, but doesn't actually pass through. Apparently the road is controlled by Kurdish forces, but a few soldiers I saw had Iraqi flags on their shoulders...

Erbil - Sulaymaniyah: 15,000 dinar ($12) per person. 3-4 hours. The cartel at the 'Suly Garage' in Erbil were shifty guys, constantly changing prices and 'extra charges' for having a large bag. Be firm in your negotiations. The road between Erbil and Suly passes through the north-eastern suburbs of Kirkuk. I heard that this road is safe, and controlled by Kurdish forces, but the vibes weren't good. Thankfully it only took around 30 minutes to pass through Kirkuk.

Sulaymaniyah - Erbil: 15,000 dinar ($12) per person, 3-4 hours. Takes the same route as above, through Kirkuk's suburbs.

If for some reason you think travelling in a 4WD/SUV would be safer, think again. They are more likely to be targeted for attacks. I sat next to a VIP in one taxi. He said he travelled like this to stay safe.

And if you are bloody crazy you can get a taxi or even minibus from Erbil just to Kirkuk, or even Baghdad. Seriously, you would have to be a foolhardy dunce with a death wish to do this as a foreigner.

Getting into Iraqi Kurdistan

1. From Syria
2. From Turkey
3. Crossing the border
4. Zakho
5. By air
6. From Iraq

The best (and cheapest) way to get into Iraqi Kurdistan is through the Ibrahim Khalil border crossing, which is in the city of Zakho in Iraq, and a few kilometres from the town of Silopi on the Turkish side. Going this way means you don't have to pass through the dangerous parts of Iraq (the non-Kurdish-controlled areas). Alternatively (but much more expensively), it's possible to fly into Erbil or Suleymaniyah from a few Middle Eastern and European cities.

From Syria:

Get to Qamishli, in North-eastern Syria. The 9 hour bus ride from Damascus should cost around SYP300 (US$6). Once in Qamishli, you can walk (10 min) north from the city centre to the border post with Nusaybin, Turkey. If it's too late to cross the border, Hotel Omayya (SYP 300/single, dirty toilets) is a stark little place, in the city centre on the road to the border.

On the Turkish side, in addition to the tourist visa, for which there is usually a fee, there is a small extra 5 lira ($4). Get an overpriced taxi (or walk for 15 min) to the Nusaybin Otogar, from where you can catch a passing bus direct to Silopi (7.5 lira / $6, 2 hours).

From Turkey:

Get to Silopi, the border town on the Turkish side. I would advise that you DON'T waste your money on a taxi all the way from Diyarbakir (as I have heard some recommend), but take a much cheaper bus all the way to Silopi. Buses go there from Cizre (nearby larger city), Mardin, Diyarbakir, Sirnak, and most likely a few other places. Turkish Airlines flies to Mardin a few times per week.

Once in Silopi, the only public transport across the border is by taxi. The local cartel will charge US$40 per taxi for this service (feel free to try to bargain), dropping you off at the taxi rank on the Iraqi side (but should still help you to negotiate your Iraqi taxi fare). The taxi driver should help you at each border check. Before you leave he'll make some photocopies of your passport to give to Turkish passport control.

Crossing the border:

IMPORTANT: Please be aware that the 'Kurdish issue' is very contentious in Turkish politics and it is worth avoiding talking about it with the border officials, or any Turkish security personnel. Also terrorism is a concern for both sides, so don't act suspiciously, or you may end up in trouble.

On the Turkish side it is rather quick for small vehicles to cross- it only took 15 minutes for me. I don't know if my driver bribed anyone or not.

On the Iraqi Kurdistan side, you will sit and wait in a little lounge area, with tea & TV. Kurdish passport control will ask questions about your occupation and reasons for visiting Iraq, and may ask for verification like documents, ID cards, etc. If you have any local contacts they will probably take the name & phone number and give them a call to make sure your story checks out. I have heard that some men travelling alone have been made to wait for a few days at the border- it didn't happen to me but be aware it is possible. Be open and honest, and if you have nothing to hide you should be fine. But it may be easier not to travel alone, and it's definitely preferable to have a local contact to vouch for you.

You don't have to pay for an Iraqi visa if entering by this post, it's just a big fat page-sized stamp in the passport and that's it.

After passport control you might be taken to meet a security official in an office building. He was welcoming to me, and insisted that I contact the local security office if I had any problems anywhere in Kurdistan.

You may change US dollars, Euros, or Turkish Lira into Iraqi Dinars at a small hidden bank office in a customs building. Ask around until you find it.
The exchange rate was about 1,300 Dinar = US $1. Based on that, the Turkish Lira would be around 900 Dinar (February 2007 rate).

Zakho:

Your driver will drive you another half kilometre to the taxi rank, where you can negotiate a taxi to Dohuk or Erbil, or you can stay in Zakho if you wish. There are bound to be numerous hotels in the centre of this city of perhaps up to 150,000 people. All I saw of Zakho was an industrial border town full of trucks- I don't know if it's worth staying, although apparently there is the famous old Delal Bridge (Pira Delal).

From Zakho, a car to Dohuk (around 1 hour) was $45, or $90 to Erbil (3-4 hours). These prices are for one whole car, so if you have 3 passengers divide that by 3. Other travellers will be willing to share a taxi. If you want to get to smaller towns & villages near Zakho, there should be a 'garage' in Zakho where you can find taxis that go to different places, including into the mountains.

By air:

There are flights into Erbil and Suleymaniyah from numerous cities, including Baghdad, Amman, Beirut, Dubai, Tehran, Istanbul, Vienna, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Munich. The flights are not cheap (except within Iraq). One way international tickets are anywhere from $290 to $500, and return is anywhere from $550 upwards.

These airlines tend to be charter operations and some have cancelled their operations to Iraqi Kurdistan. After cancelling its service in 2007, Austrian Airlines will start three direct flights per week from Vienna, starting April 2, 2008, and will increase to four per week in June 2008.

Erbil International Airport is currently very small, but a new, larger terminal is due to open around the end of 2007. Suleymaniyah International Airport was built in 2003, currently with a larger capacity than Erbil, and more information available online about flights, schedules, and prices.

2008: A new air service called IRAQUNA has started recently with flights to/from Athens, and an arrangement with Olympic Airlines for connecting flights to London (Gatwick), Dusseldorf, Amsterdam, and Stockholm. Prices (available on their website) are not cheap.

Airlines flying to Kurdistan (list includes travel agents in Kurdistan)

From non-Kurdish Iraq:

I strongly advise against travelling through Iraq to get to Kurdistan. It is sheer foolishness to go through dangerous parts of Iraq (all areas not controlled by the KRG). Bombs happen, shootings happen, abductions happen, and being foreign will just make you an easier target.

Violence in Iraq has dropped dramatically since June 2007. The figures are something like a 60% drop in violence year-on-year from January 2007 to January 2008. Violent deaths are down from around 2000 per months a year ago to less than 600 in January 2008. So things are much better, but still not great. I urge extreme caution if you are considering travelling outside the KRG's territory.

But if you're already in non-Kurdish Iraq, I presume there are taxis or minibuses from Mosul, Kirkuk and maybe Baghdad to the major Kurdish-controlled cities, as well as flights from Baghdad and Basra.

So, I must stress, STAY IN THE KURDISH REGION of Iraq. Don't be a hero and go somewhere else for the hell of it. It's just total stupidity. But if you're going to, at least avoid Mosul and Baquba, two main centres of violence and terrorist activities.

about this website, disclaimer

This website is an attempt to provide useful information to travellers who want to travel in Iraqi Kurdistan. There is currently no source with current information collected in the one place. It's a shame, because I found travelling here to be a rich experience. The hospitality and kindness of the Kurds surpasses anything I've come across before.

In Erbil, Lolan Mustafa, who runs the excellent Kurdish Textile Museum, said that when Tony Wheeler visited in April 2006 he promised that Lonely Planet would send a team to write a guide. This has not happened yet, but I believe their 2009 Middle East guide will possibly include more info on Iraqi Kurdistan.

Disclaimer:

Basically, check on things yourself, and be ready to adapt to change-

Things change a lot in a place like Iraqi Kurdistan. So facts on this website will change. Hence, while I have tried my best to be accurate, I take no responsibility for the accuracy of information on this website. The Thorn Tree Forum's Iraq page is a good place to check with other travellers on recent info.

Also, while Kurdistan is quite safe currently, things could change in that respect. Always keep up on news of violence and politics in Iraq and Kurdistan. You need to understand that it is still a small risk to travel to Iraqi Kurdistan. Always be cautious. There is some crime in the cities of Kurdistan after dark, so be wise about your movements. Also, the Turkish military often intimates that it may cross the border into Iraqi Kurdistan to chase down suspected PKK terrorists. So basically, always keep yourself up to date on current news.

Thanks

Thanks to the other travellers to Iraqi Kurdistan who have been kind enough to give me extra info on places and sights I didn't get to see. So far this includes George (a.k.a. scubamonkey69) and some unnamed others.