Turkish Airlines resumes flights to Syria after 13-year hiatus
ISTANBUL
Flag carrier Turkish Airlines yesterday landed its first Damascus flight since 2012, ending a 13-year hiatus that was due to Syria's civil war.
The plane arrived from Istanbul carrying aid and 345 passengers, including Turkish Airlines CEO Bilal Ekşi and Turkish officials.
Many Syrians voiced joy at returning to their homeland years after they had to flee their country amid the war. Some were seen carrying national flags that were changed by Syria’s new rulers after the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime last month.
Nearly 350 passengers boarded the flight to Damascus International Airport after ticket and passport checks.
Passenger Fatma Zehra told reporters that she had come to Türkiye when she was only 2 years old and was very excited to return along with her family to her homeland where she was born.
Now 14 years old, Zehra said: "I’ve never seen my country. I'm so excited to see it for the first time. We will be going from Damascus to Aleppo. I'll see my grandmother there."
Some 4 million Syrians took refuge in neighboring Türkiye during the war, more than in any other country.
Ahmet Kiraz, another passenger, said he came to Türkiye in 2012, built a life by studying and working, and never expected to return to Syria.
Qatar Airways was the first international carrier to announce it would resume Damascus services, which began on Jan. 7.
In an earlier announcement, the Turkish Airlines said that "in accordance with recent decisions taken by the Syrian Arab Republic authorities, certain rules have been established for passengers entering Syria.”
"Citizens of all countries except Israel can enter the country," it said.
It also said that Iranians "can only enter the country with prior authorization,” rather than indicating they had been banned.
A Damascus airport source said the facility's authorities told airlines operating in Syria not to allow Israelis and Iranians to board flights to the country.
Syria and Israel do not have diplomatic ties and Israeli nationals have long been unable to enter the country.
Iran was a major backer of Assad's government, but Damascus-Tehran relations have been on ice since Assad's overthrow.
Meanwhile, Syria's new leadership is aiming to privatize state-owned factories and ports, attract foreign investment and enhance international trade as part of a major economic reform intended to move the country away from its long-standing status as a pariah state, according to the country’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Shaibani explained that while Assad’s government focused on security, their vision centers on economic development.
He emphasized the need for clear laws and policies to encourage both foreign and Syrian investors to return to the country. His remarks came ahead of Syria’s first participation in the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he reiterated the importance of lifting the sanctions imposed during Assad's rule.
