A statement from the Kurdistan government on the incident in Trabzon said that some tourists from Kurdistan were attacked and then detained in Trabzon on Thursday, as they wanted to take pictures with the Kurdistan flag.

"The Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region has expressed his concern over the incident and has tasked KRG's relevant authorities to intervene with their Turkish counterparts to secure the tourists' immediate release," read the statement released by the spokesperson of the KRG, Jotiar Adil.

"The flag of the Kurdistan Region is recognized by the Iraqi Constitution, and has been previously displayed at Turkish airports to welcome official delegates from the Kurdistan Region," the spokesperson added.

The Kurdistan Region's parliamentary committee for Foreign Relations and Diaspora Kurds also released a statement on Friday condemning any type of discrimination by some of the citizens of Turkey against Kurdistan tourists in Trabzon city.

The committee also extended calls to the Turkish authorities to immediately release the detained tourists.

Turkey is a key tourist destination for hundreds of thousands of tourists from the autonomous Kurdistan Region and Iraq who travel to many areas of the country. (ILKHA)