Commercial flights between Turkey and Syria have resumed after 13 years with a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul to Damascus

Turkish Airlines resumed flights to Syria on Thursday after a 13-year suspension, with a flight landing in Damascus from Istanbul airport, state media reported.

Turkey's national flag carrier resumed flights to the Syrian capital Damascus on Thursday after a break of nearly 13 years, state news agency Anadolu reported. A plane with 349 passengers took off from Istanbul International Airport for Damascus on Thursday morning in first such flight since April 2012,

Officials say that Turkish Airlines will resume its flights to Damascus, Syria, next week after a halt of more than a decade.