( CNN ) -- Iraq has banned all Turkish flights from landing in the country in response to a dispute over millions of dollars owed by an Iraqi government oil company to Turkey . Iraqi transportation ministry spokesman Karim al-Nuri said the decision to block Turkish planes from Iraq , including the semi-autonomous Kurdish region , was in response to a similar ban in Turkey against Iraqi flights . However , a Turkish government official denied that Ankara blocked Iraqi planes . The official did say that Turkey warned that if Iraq 's State Oil Marketing Organization ( SOMO ) does not pay the $ 3 million owed to his country , then the country would ban Iraqi aircraft . `` They owe the money and they wish to freeze Turkish flights ... Talks are ongoing . But the way out is for SOMO to pay its debts , '' the Turkish official said . Al-Nuri said Baghdad did not make `` a political decision . '' `` Iraq will reverse its decision if Turkey reverses its decision , too , '' al-Nuri said . After years of the U.S.-led war in Iraq , Turkey 's flagship carrier Turkish Airlines was one of the first international companies to begin direct flights to Baghdad . Increasingly , Turkey has grown as a major international gateway for commerce and travel to and from its Iraqi neighbor .
Iraq claims Turkey has banned Iraqi flights from landing . Turkey denies making such a decision . The dispute is over money owed by an Iraqi oil company to Turkey .