US to lift ban on laptops from Turkish Airlines flights

ANKARA

Washington is set to lift a ban on large electronic devices from U.S.-bound flights of Turkish Airlines, Turkey's transport minister said on Tuesday

Ahmet Arslan said that U.S. security officials will review arrangements at Turkish airports on Wednesday, after which the ban will be lifted.

The officials will examine explosive detection machines in airports across Turkey, the Transport Ministry said in a statement.

“Turkey is an exceptional country as our security forces can take safety measures independently,” Arslan said, adding that the U.S. officials will only observe and verify the system.

The U.S. in March banned passengers from carrying large electronic devices, such as laptops, on commercial flights to the U.S. from 10 international airports in eight Muslim-majority countries -- Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Turkey.

Arslan added that Abu Dhabi International Airport was the first to lift the ban on Sunday, after the U.S. placed extra security measures at its premises.

Turkey, by the end of June, had begun using U.S. manufactured tomography machines on a test-basis to scan luggage at airports, the ministry said.

The machines are already being used in airports in the U.S., the Netherlands, Singapore and Johannesburg.

Reporting by Arife Yildiz Unal;Writing by Tuba Sahin, Gokhan Ergocun