TURKISH AIRLINES DENIES REPORTS OF DIRECT YEREVAN FLIGHTS
Hurriyet
Dec 19 2008
Turkey
Turkish Airlines (THY) has denied reports claiming that the company
would launch direct flights to the Armenian capital Yeravan, in a
statement issued on Friday. (UPDATED)
"As Turkish Airlines, who continues on its path inline with its growth
targets, has made no decisions regarding this issue, the subject
was not even been brought to the agenda of the Executive Board,"
the statement said.
Some media reports suggested Turkey had planned to schedule direct
flights from Istanbul to Armenia’s capital Yerevan in order to boost
the recent process of renewed relations between the two countries.
Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic ties and their border has been
closed for more than a decade, as Armenia presses the international
community to admit the so-called "genocide" claims instead of accepting
Turkey’s call to investigate the allegations, and Armenia’s invasion
of 20 percent territory of Azerbaijan.
A warmer period began the two countries began after Turkish President
Abdullah Gul paid a landmark visit to Yerevan in September on the
occasion of a Turkish-Armenian World Cup football qualifying match.