ail out ▁or ▁mass ▁lay offs , ▁although ▁ 3 0 0 ▁middle ▁management ▁positions ▁were ▁elimin ated , ▁ 4 0 0 ▁part - tim ers ▁were ▁laid ▁off ▁and ▁w ages ▁were ▁cut ▁ 1 0 ▁percent . ▁Turkish ▁Daily ▁News ▁cred ited ▁the ▁air line ' s ▁surv ival ▁to ▁entrepr ene ur ial ▁management , ▁which ▁was ▁quick ▁to ▁get ▁rid ▁of ▁loss - making ▁routes ▁at ▁home ▁and ▁abroad . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁the ▁war ▁in ▁Ira q ▁prompt ed ▁Turkish ▁Airlines ▁to ▁close ▁some ▁routes ▁in ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁G ulf , ▁while ▁fl ights ▁to ▁Asia ▁were ▁susp ended ▁during ▁the ▁S AR S ▁ep ide mic . ▁However , ▁the ▁air line ▁soon ▁recovered , ▁increasing ▁traffic ▁on ▁existing ▁routes ▁and ▁adding ▁service ▁to ▁Del hi ▁after ▁an ▁ 1 1 - year ▁lap se . ▁ ▁Another ▁fleet ▁expansion ▁program ▁k icked ▁off ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁helping ▁TH Y ▁maintain ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁young est ▁fle ets ▁in ▁Europe . ▁In ▁July ▁that ▁year , ▁the ▁air line ▁announced ▁a ▁massive ▁$ 2 . 8   b ill ion ▁order ▁of ▁ 3 6 ▁j ets ▁from ▁Air bus , ▁plus ▁an ▁order ▁for ▁ 1 5 ▁Bo eing ▁ 7 3 7 s . ▁ ▁TH Y ▁was ▁not ▁just ▁ordering ▁new ▁plan es . ▁It ▁was ▁planning ▁to ▁spend ▁$ 3 5 0   mill ion ▁on ▁a ▁new ▁technical ▁and ▁training ▁facility