Turkish Airlines delegation holds talks in Syrian capital

DAMASCUS

A delegation from Turkish Airlines conducted technical discussions Thursday with officials in the Syrian capital Damascus.

Erol Senol, vice president of sales for the Middle East and Cyprus at the airline, provided details of the visit in an interview with Anadolu.

Senol said the delegation met with the Syrian Civil Aviation Authority and Syrian Air’s management.

“Our meetings went well, and we were warmly received,” he said.

The discussions addressed the necessary processes to resume flights between Türkiye and Damascus, said Senol.

“We assessed airport operations and reviewed the fleet structure of Syrian Airlines. Our primary goal is to strengthen the technical and technological infrastructure of Syrian Airlines,” he added.

He also underlined their ambition to resume flights between Damascus and Istanbul as soon as possible.

Bashar Assad, Syria's leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party's decades-long regime.

The takeover came after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham fighters captured key cities in a lightning offensive that lasted less than two weeks.

A new administration led by Ahmed al-Sharaa has taken control of the country.