ISTANBUL 

Turkey's flag carrier Turkish Airlines has added direct flights from Istanbul to Xian, China, the historical starting point of the Silk Road.

"Turkish Airlines added Xian, the Chinese city with 3,000 years of history, to its flight network on Dec. 30," the carrier said on Monday.

The Chinese city is the carrier's fourth destination in mainland China and the 318th point globally.

Turkish Airlines noted: "The flights will be operated three times a week with Airbus A330 aircrafts."

With a fleet of 351 passenger and cargo aircraft, Turkish Airlines now flies to 126 countries.