Erbil cancels Syrian products fair following Aleppo violence

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Erbil governor announced on Sunday that they have cancelled a planned exhibition of Syrian products scheduled for later this month, citing the deteriorating security situation in Syria following deadly attacks on Kurdish-majority neighborhoods in Aleppo.

Governor Omed Xoshnaw told Rudaw on Sunday that the fair, which was scheduled to open on January 26 at the Erbil International Fairground, "will not be held."

The decision comes days after the Syrian Arab Army launched attacks on the predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsood in Aleppo on Tuesday, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries and forcing tens of thousands of residents to flee. The areas fell under the control of the army and affiliated jihadists following six days of resistance by Kurdish forces (locally known as “Asayish”).

Xoshnaw said the latest developments in Syria were the decisive factor behind the cancellation. “This is not the first time," he said, noting that on a previous occasion, they "suspended the exhibition because the Kurdistan flag was not displayed [on its promotional social media post], which they later corrected. However, this time, due to the events in Syria, the opening of the exhibition will not be permitted under any circumstances."

The exhibition had been promoted by the Damascus' fair affairs body, which on December 30, published an advertisement on its Facebook page inviting the public to attend what it described as the “largest exhibition of Syrian products.” The promotional image showed the Erbil Citadel draped with large Iraqi and Syrian flags, but it did not include the Kurdistan flag or the name of the Kurdistan Region.

The absence of the Kurdish flag in the ad sparked anger among Kurdish officials in Erbil. Governor Xoshnaw and Mohammed Shukri, chairman of the Kurdistan Region Investment Board, warned that the event would not be allowed to proceed unless the Kurdistan flag was included in the promotional post.

Shortly after Rudaw’s report on the issue, Syria's fair affairs body deleted the original post and later reshared a revised image that included the Kurdistan flag placed between the Iraqi and Syrian flags. Syrian authorities did not explain why the flag and the Kurdistan Region’s name were initially omitted.

[Source: Rûdaw English]