Turkish airline may buy into central Europe

Berlin: Turkish Airlines may seek a purchase in central Europe and add its first discount flights there as part of the carrier's effort to raise passenger numbers by 25 per cent.

"Central Europe is a region of interest for us," Chief Executive Temel Kotil said on Friday, adding that the Istanbul-based company isn't yet in concrete talks over a takeover.

Low-cost division Anadolujet will begin services from Ankara to the German cities of Duesseldorf and Frankfurt as well as Copenhagen and Amsterdam later this year, the CEO said. Turkish Airlines, or Turk Hava Yollari, aims to win market share against Air France-KLM Group, Deutsche Lufthansa and British Airways.

The airline won't increase its 49 per cent stake in Air Bosnia, Kotil said in the interview in Berlin.