Stranded Turkish aircraft begin returning after Iran-Israel ceasefire

ANKARA

Türkiye has launched efforts to bring back aircraft belonging to Turkish companies that were stranded in the Middle East due to the 12-day air war between Iran and Israel.

"With the lifting of restrictions on airspace, Turkish Airlines and Pegasus have begun operating evacuation flights to return their aircraft to our country," Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said on June 25 — one day after Iran and Israel ceased hostilities under a ceasefire.

The mutual aerial assaults between Iran and Israel, which began on June 13, brought regional air traffic to a halt. A gradual return to normalcy began following the ceasefire reached on June 24.

Due to the hostilities, seven Turkish aircraft were stranded in Iran and four in Iraq.

As of June 25, the Turkish Airlines and Pegasus planes in Iraq’s Baghdad and Erbil have successfully returned, leaving no aircraft stranded in Iraq, the minister said.

Efforts are ongoing to repatriate the seven aircraft still in Iran. "Operational planning will proceed once airspace conditions in the region are fully stabilized," Uraloğlu added.