Turkish Airlines denies reports of stake sale to Qatar Airways

Turkish Airlines Wednesday denied reports claiming that the company had been sold to Qatar Airways. "News reports about the sale of Turkish Airlines which surface from time to time have no basis in reality. We wish to respectfully inform the public that we reserve our legal rights about these baseless speculations," THY's senior VP of media relations Yahya Üstün said on Twitter. Reports began circulating last week, alleging 49% of THY's shares were sold to Qatar Airways for US$10.5b. Meanwhile, THY CE Bilal Ekşi used the spotlight to quell rumours and praise the company's progress, saying the airline flies to more countries — currently 121 countries — than any other airline in the world. "We don't just carry passengers, but also culture, tourism, and develop business with entrepreneurs," he said. <br/>