Ankara – Turkey is currently preventing Syrian airlines from landing at its airports due to technical and legal restrictions, Middle East Eye reported on Friday, citing a Turkish transport ministry official.
The official said that Syria’s current fleet does not meet the technical standards required by Turkish and European aviation authorities and noted that some of the planes are also subject to international sanctions.
According to the report, Ankara has asked Syria to purchase or lease new European aircraft before resuming flights to Turkey.
The transitional Syrian government recently cancelled a scheduled flight to Damascus after Ankara refused permission for Syrian aircraft to operate in Turkish airspace, Middle East Eye added. Syria’s Civil Aviation Authority also cancelled other flights that had been planned by the Turkish-based Ajit Airlines.
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The report stated that Damascus requested flight operations based on reciprocity, but Ankara rejected the proposal. Currently, Turkish Airlines operates seven flights per week to Damascus, while no Syrian aircraft are allowed into Turkey.
The situation comes as Damascus International Airport resumed operations on January 7 after a month-long shutdown due to the military escalation that preceded the fall of the former Syrian regime.
