TURKISH AIRLINES PREPARING FOR CHARTER FLIGHTS TO YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.11.2008 13:02 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In a move likely to contribute to the recent thaw in
bilateral relations between Armenia and Turkey, which gained momentum
when President Abdullah Gul visited Yerevan in September, Turkey’s
national airlines has been preparing to launch charter flights to
the Armenian capital, Today’s Zaman reports.

Turkish Airlines (THY) has recently sent unofficial letters to both the
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (SHGM) and the Foreign Ministry,
asking for information regarding charter flights by Armenian national
carrier Armavia from Yerevan to Istanbul and the Mediterranean coastal
city of Antalya.

THY asked about the arrangements and agreements involving these
flights. In its response, the SHGM said the flights have been taking
place with the Foreign Ministry’s approval and that permission for
Armavia’s charter flights to Turkey is renewed every two or three
weeks. In the coming days, THY is expected to send another letter
to the Foreign Ministry asking whether launching charter flights to
Yerevan would "comply with the national interests" of the country. The
final decision will be made after receiving the Foreign Ministry’s
response outlining Ankara’s stance on the issue.

Currently, Atlasjet, a private Turkish airline company, has been
conducting charter flights between Istanbul and Yerevan.

Turkey severed its ties and closed its border with Armenia in 1993 as
a sign of solidarity with Azerbaijan in the Nagorno Karabakh problem.

As part of intensifying contacts between Armenia and Turkey, Armenian
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian is scheduled to arrive in Istanbul
today for a meeting of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation (BSEC). The Istanbul BSEC meeting will also offer an
opportunity for a bilateral meeting between Nalbandian and his Turkish
counterpart, Ali Babacan.

A senior Turkish official, speaking on condition of anonymity,
said THY has been assuming an important role in Turkish foreign
policy. Describing THY as "an important tool of Turkey’s policy of
strategic initiatives." He said the company always requests the Foreign
Ministry’s view when it prepares to launch a new flight route abroad.