Turkish Airlines said Wednesday that it would resume flights to Damascus from January 23 after more than a decade, following the fall of Syrian strongman Bashar Al-Assad, Agence France-Presse reported.
“We will begin our flights to Damascus on January 23, with three flights per week,” the airline’s chief executive, Bilal Ekşi, posted on X.
"Ben Şam'ı bin yıl öncesinden bilirim.
Annemin sütü kadar yakın bana!" (Sezai Karakoç)
Șam'a dönüyoruz!
Haftada 3 sefer ile Șam seferlerine 23 Ocak Perşembe günü başlıyoruz.
Hayırlı olsun.
— Bilal EKŞİ (@BilalEksiTHY) January 15, 2025
The company, however, said Israeli and Iranian citizens will not be allowed to fly with THY in accordance with recent decisions made by the new rulers of Syria.
“Citizens of all countries except Israel and Iran can enter the country,” THY said in a statement.
For Syrians, submitting a document showing that they are Syrian citizens will be sufficient, while Lebanese citizens will be allowed to fly if their parents are Syrian citizens or if they have a residence permit or visa in another country.
“Members of the press are subject to special permission,” the statement added.
Turkey, which supports the Islamist-led rebels who overthrew Assad last month, had already said it would help resume commercial flights to Damascus, noting that its airport lacked a radar system.
Qatar Airways was the first international carrier to announce that it would resume flights to Syria’s capital, which began on January 7.