Turkey has closed its airspace to flights to and from northern Iraq

Turkey has closed its airspace to flights to and from northern Iraq, NTV television said on Thursday, as part of economic sanctions targeting groups supporting Kurdish militants operating in northern Iraq.

Private broadcaster NTV gave no source for its report and it was not clear whether any ban would affect U.S. military planes operating between NATO member Turkey and Iraq. Officials were not immediately available to confirm the NTV report.aq.

Turkey's cabinet approved on Wednesday unspecified economic sanctions against groups deemed to support the outlawed PKK.

"I cannot discuss the measures we are thinking of. The measures are directed against the PKK and those that directly support them," Deputy Prime Minister and government spokesman Cemil Cicek said late on Wednesday.