Turkey's national flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) will begin Tuesday conducting direct flights to the northern Italian city of Turin, its 7th destination in this country.

THY will fly between Turin and Istanbul three times a week, on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, the company said in a statement on Sunday.

Apart from Turin, THY operates flights to the Italian cities of Rome, Milan, Venice, Bologna, Genoa and Naples.

The statement also said that THY would launch flights between Istanbul and Saudi Arabian city of Dammam starting from September 12.

Based in Istanbul, THY is one of the fastest growing airline companies in the world. A Star Alliance member carrying approximately 25 million passengers a year, THY posted 286 million Turkish lira net profit in 2010.

THY has been recently named the Best Airline in Europe by London-based research organization in air travel, Skytrax.

Turin will become THY's 146th overseas destination. The company currently flies to 41 domestic destinations.

AA