ISTANBUL, April 22 (Reuters) - SunExpress, a joint venture between Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, sees Syria as a growth opportunity and an attractive market to tap into once the necessary technical and safety requirements are met, its chief executive said.

Türkiye, a close ally of the new government in Damascus, pledged to support Syria's reconstruction, particularly by developing and maintaining its airports, following the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad in December.

Asked whether the company planned to begin operating flights to Syria in the near future, Konatsky said during a press conference in Istanbul that Syria could be a "very good opportunity" and a "really attractive destination."

"In general, there are still opportunities to enter new markets, and I think Syria is definitely one of them. It's interesting on all levels, not just tourism," he added.

Data from the World Tourism Organization indicates that approximately 11 million people visited Syria in 2010, the year before the outbreak of the civil war.

But Konatsky emphasized that SunExpress needs to study issues such as safety protocols and aircraft types.

He added that the company operates 237 routes in 35 countries and is targeting 16.8 million passengers this year. The company's revenues reached €2.2 billion ($2.52 billion) in 2024, while its earnings before interest and taxes reached €195 million.

Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu held talks with Syrian officials in Damascus on Tuesday and visited Damascus Airport, which Türkiye is helping to rebuild.

Turkish Airlines has already started operating flights to and from Damascus.

(USD = 0.8737 EUR)

(Prepared by Mohamed Attia for the Arabic edition - Edited by Ali Khafagi)