TURKISH AIRLINES SUSPENDS MORE FLIGHTS DUE TO IRAQ

UNCLAS ANKARA 001948

SIPDIS


SENSITIVE


STATE FOR EUR/SE, EB/TRA, OPERATIONS CENTER
ROME FOR FAA
PARIS, FRANKFURT FOR TSA


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIR ATRN TU
SUBJECT: TURKISH AIRLINES SUSPENDS MORE FLIGHTS DUE TO IRAQ
OPERATION


REF: A) ANKARA 1791 B) ANKARA 1203


(SBU) Chief of Marketing for Turkish Airlines (THY),Guliz
Ozturk, confirmed to econoff March 25 that THY had suspended
operations to Kuwait and Bahrain due to insufficient
passenger loads and proximity to the area of military
operations. She said the airline had also suspended flights
within Turkey to Mardin, Sanliurfa, and Gaziantep, because
flights to these cities were not permitted by the Prime
Ministry's Crisis Center. Ozturk said the suspension of the
flights within Turkey had nothing to do with the reported
U.S. missile that had landed in southeastern Turkey, as had
been rumored. (Note: These cancellations track with THY's
pre-operation planning, as reported reftels).
PEARSON