Türkiye's national flag carrier on Thursday said it would not carry Israeli and Iranian citizens on its flights to Syria, per directives from Syrian authorities.
The statement came a day after Turkish Airlines (THY) announced it would resume its flights to Syria's capital, Damascus, next week after a halt of more than a decade.
Bilal Ekşi, the CEO of THY, said there would be three flights a week, starting on Jan. 23. "We are returning to Damascus," Ekşi said in a post on the social media platform X.
"In accordance with recent decisions taken by the Syrian Arab Republic authorities, certain rules have been established for passengers entering Syria," the company said in an advisory issued on its website.
"Citizens of all countries except Israel and Iran are permitted to enter the country," it said.
It said it would be sufficient for Syrian citizens to submit valid documents proving their nationality.
Lebanese citizens will be able to enter the country if their parents are Syrian citizens or if they have residence rights or visas in another country.
"Members of the press are subject to special permission," the airline said.
Turkish Airlines suspended all flights to Syria following the outbreak of the civil war in 2011.
Türkiye was the main backer of opposition forces that ousted longtime dictator Bashar Assad last month and ended his family's decades-long rule. Russia and Iran were Assad's main allies.
It has urged for the lifting of international sanctions on Syria to support basic public services and facilitate reconstruction of the war-shattered country.
Türkiye has said it would help resume commercial flights to Damascus, noting that its airport lacked a radar system.
Qatar Airways was the first international carrier to announce that it would resume flights to Syria's capital, which began on Jan. 7.
