Turkish Airlines, or THY, Turkey\'s state-run air carrier, will begin on April 1 direct flights between Istanbul and Houston. THY stated on Wednesday thatHouston would be THY\'s fifth destination in the United States after Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and Washington DC. Flights on Istanbul- Houston and Houston-Istanbul routes are scheduled for Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The flights will be held six times a week as of July 2013. TheIstanbul-based airlines operate scheduled services to 150 international and 41 domestic cities (38 domestic airports), serving a total of 187 airports, in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.