Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines (THY) has been forced to cancel a significant number of flights due to a slowdown strike by employees in response to the draft legislation which would lift strike and lock-out rights of those employed in the aviation industry.

The draft law penned by AK Party Istanbul Deputy Metin Külünk, as well as two other DP's, foresees adding the aviation sector to the other fields of operation in which staging strikes and lock-outs is prohibited.

The intention of the draft law is to ensure that the aviation sector provides undisrupted and continuous service. According to current regulations, all fields of operations involving rescue services for individuals and property, all funeral services, certain branches of the energy sector, bank and notary services, firefighters operating for public establishments as well as all inner-city sea, land, railway as well as all other forms of rail transportation services are subject to the prohibition of strike and lock out rights.