ANKARA

Türkiye's national flag carrier Turkish Airlines launched direct flights from Istanbul Airport to the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Thursday.

Thanks to the Turkish Airlines flight, Kirkuk International Airport also hosted the first international flight and opened its doors to the whole world.

Iraqi Transport Minister Nasser Hussein Al-Shibli inaugurated the first-ever international airport in Kirkuk on Sunday.

Turkish Airlines will offer Istanbul-Kirkuk flights four days a week as of December onwards.

Kirkuk is Turkish Airline's sixth destination in Iraq after Erbil, Basra, Baghdad, Sulaymaniyah, and Najaf, bringing the number of destinations in its network to 341.

The airport, which was completed in four years, is capable of receiving 3.5 million passengers annually, according to Iraqi officials.