Flag carrier Turkish Airlines on Thursday landed its first Istanbul-Damascus flight since 2012, ending a 13-year hiatus.
Many Syrians voiced joy at returning to their homeland after years of exile. Nearly 350 passengers boarded the flight to Damascus International Airport after ticket and passport checks, Anadolu reported.
Passenger Ahmet Kiraz said he came to Türkiye in 2012, built a life by studying and working.
"We thought we would never go back. But when the opportunity came, we were so happy. I'm returning to my country on the first flight, it feels like a dream," he said.
Another passenger Fatma Zehra said she had come to Türkiye when she was only 2 years old, and was very excited to return along with her family to her homeland where she was born.
"I’ve never seen my country. I'm so excited to see it for the first time. We will be going from Damascus to Aleppo. I'll see my grandmother there," Zehra said.
