ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish Airlines is set to restart its flights to Damascus, Syria, next week, marking the first service in over ten years. Officials announced this development on Wednesday, coinciding with a visit from a delegation representing Syria’s new, Turkey-supported leadership.
Bilal Eksi, the CEO of Turkey’s national airline, indicated that there will be three flights each week beginning January 23. Eksi expressed excitement about the return to Damascus in a social media post on platform X.
This announcement came shortly after Syria’s newly appointed foreign minister, Asaad al-Shibani, held discussions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other senior officials in Ankara. Al-Shibani is part of Syria’s new leadership under Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, an Islamist group responsible for a rapid revolt that led to the ousting of President Bashar Assad and the end of his family’s long-standing rule.
The ongoing conflict in Syria, which began in 2011, has resulted in an estimated 500,000 fatalities due to the uprising and subsequent civil war.
The new Syrian authorities are eager to foster diplomatic relations with neighboring and global governments. During a news conference with al-Shibani, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hinted at plans to reopen Turkey’s Consulate in Aleppo. In addition, it was revealed last month that Turkey intends to open its embassy in Damascus after a closure lasting twelve years.
Fidan advocated for the removal of international sanctions against Syria, stating that such actions would aid essential public services and assist in the reconstruction of the war-torn nation. “Lifting the sanctions will hasten the normalization process, creating an environment that enables millions of Syrians to return home,” he remarked.
“We aim to build a new nation and restore it,” al-Shibani asserted. “Our efforts will focus on making this country one that acknowledges the rights of all its citizens and fosters integration with both the region and the global community.”
He also assured that the new leaders of Syria would maintain the nation’s territorial integrity and work to prevent any threats against Turkey posed by Kurdish groups in Syria, including the YPG, or People’s Protection Units, as well as the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which are supported by the U.S.
Ankara views the Syrian Kurdish factions as linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which has been engaged in an insurgency against Turkey since 1984. This conflict has extended beyond Turkey into Iraq and Syria and has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
The PKK is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union.
