Turkish Airlines (TK, Istanbul Airport) has denied media reports that it is negotiating to acquire all shares of SunExpress (XQ, Antalya), in which the Turkish flag carrier already holds a 50% stake. In a November 5 statement, it said such reports do "not reflect the truth. Our company does not have any initiative in this direction. SunExpress successfully continues its operations under the joint partnership of Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa and there is no change in the shareholding structure." This follows a report by Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, citing sources "familiar with the discussions", that Turkish aims to acquire Lufthansa's 50% stake in SunExpress to expand Europe-Middle East routes and leverage opportunities such as the reopening of Syrian airspace.