Turkiye’s national carrier has announced a ban on Israeli and Iranian nationals boarding flights to Syria’s capital, Damascus, in accordance with guidelines ordered by the new Syrian government.
Earlier this week, Turkish Airlines announced its plans to relaunch flights to Damascus from 23 January on a schedule of three flights per week, in a decision to resume operations in Syria after 13 years of conflict.
Amid that resumption in operations and the reopening of airports in Syria, however, the new Syrian authorities – who took power after the rebel takeover and the toppling of the Assad regime last month – have reportedly implemented a new set of guidelines for passengers arriving in the country on international flights.
In a statement published on its website on Thursday, Turkish Airlines stated that “In accordance with recent decisions taken by the Syrian Arab Republic authorities, certain rules have been established for passengers entering Syria.” The carrier revealed that “Citizens of all countries except Israel and Iran are permitted to enter the country.”
Syrian citizens with proper documentation which confirms their nationality would be allowed to enter Syria, it said, while Lebanese citizens would also be eligible if one of their parents is a Syrian citizen or if they hold a Syrian visa residence permit. “Members of the press are subject to special permission”, Turkish Airlines stated.
Reasons for the decision were not specified, but it coincided with Syrian Foreign Minister, Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani’s landmark visit to Turkiye’s capital, Ankara, on Wednesday, potentially signalling some coordination on the issue.
The move is likely based on security concerns harboured by the new Syrian interim government, as Iran was a key supporter of the deposed President Bashar Al-Assad and his regime while Israel continues to occupy and further encroach on Syrian territory in the south-west of the country, making nationals from both Tehran and Tel Aviv significant potential security risks.