ANKARA, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye continues to suspend flights to several countries in the Middle East and the Gulf, the country's transport minister announced Monday.
"Due to ongoing risks in the region, we have taken new decisions regarding certain flights, prioritizing passenger and flight safety," Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said on social media platform X.
All flights from Türkiye to Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan have been suspended until March 6, the Turkish minister said, adding that flights to Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have also been cancelled until March 3.
In addition, Pegasus Airlines will not operate flights to Iran until March 12, extending its suspension beyond the broader restrictions announced by the authorities, he said.
Despite the widespread cancellations, flights to Riyadh, Jeddah and Medina in Saudi Arabia, as well as to Oman, will operate as scheduled on Monday, Uraloglu noted.
The developments came after the United States and Israel launched military strikes against Iran on Saturday, prompting Iran to carry out retaliatory attacks on several regional countries. ■
