Turkey’s national flag carrier on Thursday said it resumed flights to the Syrian capital, Damascus, after a break of nearly 13 years.

Anadolu reported that a plane with 349 passengers took off from Istanbul International Airport for Damascus on Thursday morning, the first such flight since April 2012.

Turkey has taken in the most refugees from Syria in the world, at around 3 million, according to official figures.

Many Syrians are returning to their home country for the first time since the fall of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in early December, Anadolu reported.

Pictures showed travellers boarding the plane with the Syrian flag slung around their shoulders.

“I feel like I’m in a dream,” said a passenger, Ahmet Kiraz.

Living in Turkey since 2012, he had lost hope that he would ever be able to return to Syria.

Turkish Airlines had suspended direct flights to the neighbouring country in the wake of the civil war that began in 2011.

The airline had previously announced plans for three flights to Damascus a week.

A company spokesman said details would be announced later in the day.

(dpa/NAN)