10
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
'''NOTE: With === Security ===As said above, the recent conflict with ISIS, Kurdistan has obviously gotten tenser. Though overall it KRG is largely safe, it is highly recommended and will probably continue to be so. Recently there have a couple been some potential issues with Daesh, as well as Iraqi-Kurdish conflicts following the independence referendum of September 2017. However, neither of contacts with their telephone numbers before enteringthese conflicts spilled over the official border into Kurdistan. It Furthermore, the Daesh threat is perhaps also a good idea to learn some basic Kurdish; many Kurds (both officials mostly gone in Iraq, and locals) fear foreigners are wanting the fighting in Kirkuk seems to join ISIS, so try convince them that this isnbe at it's lowest intensity. The situation doesn't the case and they will live up appear to be likely to change any time soon, however a people surrounded by enemies get their reputation fair share of being extremely hospitable! trouble from time-to-time. Monitor news reports while you are in Kurdistan.
Update on Security: While the fighting with ISIS is now winding down, new instability has sprung up after the Kurdish referendum on independence. The disputed city of Kirkuk and other disputed areas has been retaken by the Iraqi government, the Iraqi government has (as of 13th Nov 2017) closed the Kurdish international airports to all international flights and the Iraqi government is reported to have put its soldiers in the no mans land in the boarder crossings. Adding to this Turkey and Iran have threatened to close the boarder crossings. While Iraqi Kurdistan is awesome to visit, one should check the security for then as this remains a fluid situation.
'''
Iraq
,no edit summary
|pop = 26,783,383
|currency = Iraqi Dinar (IQD) USD regularly accepted and often priced in USD
|hitch = from {{senseless}} (because of the war) to <rating country='iq' /> {{easy}} (in the Kurdistan region)
|avp = iraq
}}
'''Iraq''' is a country in the [[Middle East]].
Except for the autonomous Kurdistan region, Iraq is a dangerous place. It would probably be very risky to hitch there. There are unverified information that checkpoints are infiltrated so that when they see your foreign passport on a road checkpoint they can very well call their friends who are going to wait for you somewhere on the road to kidnap. Anyway, obtaining a full Iraqi visa is very hard and your Kurdistan stamp does not allow you to enter areas outside of Kurdistan region (except . There are, however some reports of passing through Westerners crossing the border into cities like Mosul for example; however without a visa this can get you a lot of questions, and Kirkuk outer suburbs even accusations of being in order to reach Erbil or Suly)ISIS. The Peshmerga take this very seriously.
'''We highly recommend to NOT hitchhike in the rest of Iraq (regions south of Kurdistan) at the moment.''' Note that the Kurdistan Region (KRG) currently includes the provinces of Duhok, Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, and Halabja. Kirkuk and Nineveh planes regions, which were taken by Peshmerga from Daesh are no longer under Kurdish control.
== Iraqi Kurdistan ==
However, avoid going to the disputed cities of Mosul and Kirkuk. There are plenty of checkpoints and it is easy to avoid going into the cities if you make it clear to the driver. Its also a good idea to avoid remote mountainous areas near the Turkish border because of the ongoing Turkey-PKK conflict.
=== Entry ===
=== Personal Experience ===
2018: blanky has found the Kurds to be extremely hospitable; [http://blankyrambles.blogspot.com/2018/05/on-my-birthday.html/ here's a whole blog post about a couple days of hitchhiking.]
August/September 2015 - "I hitched around iraqi kurdistan most of the time and never had problem getting rides. People were as expected very friendly and hospitable. The only thing making hitching less smooth were the numerous checkpoints and the Asayish (some kind of secret police). While most of the time I could pass trough the checkpoints easily I was stopped and interogated a few times. Most of the times these interrogations were just a few questions (where to, where from and why) and after 5 minutes I was back on the road. But on a few occasions I was kept for a longer amount of time . The longest of these encounters were while I tried to hitch to Amedi taking the big road in the east (trough Barzan). I was stopped halfway there and then brought to a local chief of the Peshmerga. During the whole time my poor driver had to stay as a translator, being the only krudish english speaker around. After a few hours of waiting and answering questions I was let go but was strongly advised by the official not to take this road any further but return to Erbil. According to them the Checkpoints wouldn't get any more relaxed from this point and cars would become more and more sparse anyway. Might have been just a lie to make me change course but in the end I did return to Erbil since the better part of the day was gone anyway.
