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.