ANKARA

National flag carrier Turkish Airlines will launch direct flights from Istanbul to Uzbekistan's Urgench and Fergana cities in May, according to the company's general manager.

"We are returning to our roots," Bilal Eksi said on Twitter late Tuesday.

The two countries agreed on easing transportation during Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu's visit to Uzbekistan in March. Increasing the number of flights and opening new routes were among the topics discussed.

Accordingly, Uzbekistan Airways also began direct flights to Istanbul from the two Uzbek cities in late March.

Turkish Airlines currently has flights to the Central Asian country's historical city of Samarkand and the capital Tashkent.