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After first showing interest in 2010, Turkish Airlines has come back to the negotiating table with the aim of buying Poland's state-owned flagship carrier Lot Polish Airlines.

“Many airlines have proposed partnerships with us. We have decided on Lot Airlines,” Hamdi Topçu, Turkish Airlines chairman of the board, told CNN Türk.

Polish Treasury spokesperson Magdalena Kobos confirmed to Parkiet that Turkish Airlines was one of the two firms which had expressed an interest in the privatization of Lot, while the second preferred to remain anonymous.

Turkish Airlines CEO Temel Kotil said in May 2010 that Lot was the only Central European carrier in which Turkish Airlines was interested.

The Treasury wants to sell the carrier after the company finishes restructuring, which could happen some time this year. Although Lot recorded a loss in its last full-year earnings report, the company has been steadily improving its results, registering a net loss of zł.52 million in 2010, compared to a net loss of zł.168.1 million in 2009, and zł.732 million in 2008.

The Turkish carrier transported 32.6 million passengers in 2011, while Lot carried 4.5 million in 2010.