Turkish Airlines marks return to Syria after 13 years

Turkish Airlines resumed flights to Syria on Thursday, marking the first Istanbul-Damascus service since 2012. The resumption comes after a prolonged suspension due to Syria's civil war, which has led to a 13-year break in direct air travel between the two countries.

The flight, which carried around 345 passengers, landed at Damascus International Airport, bringing passengers and Turkish officials, including Turkish Airlines CEO Bilal Eksi. Among the passengers were Syrians returning to their homeland after years of exile. Many expressed excitement at the prospect of seeing their country again, with some even carrying flags from Syria’s 2011 revolution that led to the fall of the Assad regime.

Passenger Fatma Zehra, now 14 years old, expressed her joy at visiting Syria for the first time. Zehra had fled to Türkiye with her family when she was just two years old. "I’ve never seen my country. I'm so excited to see it for the first time," she said, adding that she would be visiting Aleppo to see her grandmother.

In total, nearly 4 million Syrians sought refuge in Türkiye during the civil war, making it the largest host of Syrian refugees globally. Many Syrians, like Ahmet Kiraz, who came to Türkiye in 2012, had never imagined they would return. "We thought we would never go back, but when the opportunity came, we were so happy. It feels like a dream," said Kiraz.

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This resumption follows Qatar Airways' announcement that it had resumed services to Damascus on January 7. Additionally, a flight by Syrian Airlines to the United Arab Emirates marked the first international commercial flight from Syria since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024.

The resumption of flights marks a significant step in the normalization of relations between Syria and Türkiye, as both countries work towards rebuilding ties after years of conflict.

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