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Turkish Airlines starts operating flights to Somali capital

07 March 2012 04:54 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Turkish Airlines has started operating regular commercial flights to Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, becoming the first international carrier from outside East Africa to fly there in more than 20 years. APA reports quoting Press TV.

Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag arrived in Mogadishu on the first Turkish national flag carrier flight from Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul on Tuesday to inaugurate the twice-weekly passenger service.

He was welcomed by Somalia’s President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed as well as other senior members of the Transitional Federal Government.

"Somalia was cut off, but we have now connected it to the world," Bozdag told reporters at Mogadishu’s airport.

"We have repaired the airport and now international flights can use it. We have discussed with the president and Turkey will also do local flights inside Somalia," he added.

The Somali president expressed gratitude to the Turkish government.

â€œWe thank our Turkish brothers for the assistance and we receive it with an open heart,â€ Sharif said.

Until now, flights into Mogadishu only linked the Horn of Africa nation to neighboring countries and were only operated by small east African companies.

Last year, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Somalia, the first non-African leader to go to the war-torn country in 20 years.

During the visit, he pledged to help Somalia leave behind decades of chaos and conflict.

Somalia has not had an effective central government since 1991, when warlords overthrew former dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.

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Turkish Airlines starts operating flights to Somali capital

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